Before heading home on Saturday, the team had a much needed day of fun and sightseeing in Bamako.
From the numbers, the entire team kept extremely busy all week in Ouelessebougou. The team completed:
87 surgeries, 1181 clinic visits, and 6500 school children trained in the importance of handwashing and handwashing technique.
A tired but successful crew headed home Saturday night.
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The Mali team will be heading home tomorrow. It has been a long and busy, and remarkable week.
They finished the week doing 80+ surgeries with our two doctors from MMF. Adding in the surgeries Dr. Omar did also, it put the number over 100. Very busy!
Many more patients were helped in the clinics. Thousands of children were given hand washing education in their schools. The team spent some time Friday at one of the schools where the children gave a presentation on the hand washing lessons they had learned during the week.
Seeing the children give their presentation reminded them of all that is good in the world, but also how much more can be done!
Now it is off to showers and dinner (and hopes that this time dinner does not include rice!)
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It was noon on Wednesday in Mali when we received this message from Christina summarizing the mission through Tuesday.
The Mali team has performed 46 surgeries, seen 449 in the Clinic and 2,400 students have completed the UNICEF hand washing program in the schools. As Dr. Lisa texted, “Never believe that a few caring people can’t change the world, for indeed, that’s all who ever has!”
Christina also shared an inspiring and emotional story from Tuesday. A young woman and her brother arrived unexpectedly on her brother’s motorcycle. She had an external mass below her collarbone the size and appearance of a brain. Her husband had divorced her because of it and she was less than hopeful that anything could be done to help her. Dr. Tammy had just had a no-show for surgery and told her she would get her right in for surgery. As Christina explained, “Dr. Tammy did a beautiful job removing the growth and when the young woman awoke from anesthesia she said it was the happiest day of her life and it would also be the happiest day of her parent’s lives.” Several hours later the young woman climbed on the back of her brother’s motorcycle to begin her new life.
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We received a short text today. Everyone is working hard and all is well but they are experiencing a power outage. They are running the generator for cautery and anesthesia vaporizer. Challenging day but power was restored and Dr. Lisa added the quote for the day..."It's not what you look at that matters, it is what you see.
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We received the following information via text message.
The surgical team's day began at 8:30 a.m. As of 7:00 p.m. they had done 25 surgeries and had 2 left to do before calling it a day. The team has been working in 80 degree plus heat--and that's with the fans going and the windows open.
The clinic saw some cases that are too complicated for the limited surgical facilities available here.
The team hopes to finish for the day soon and head back to their bucket showers. The saying for the day is "success is dependent on effort" and they feel successful!
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This blog entry arrived via text today...
Finally back at the compound...hit the ground running today with the whole group together. The operating rooms are set up and everything "seems" to be in working order.
We spent the afternoon screening patients and scheduled 100 for surgery. Dr. Omar will be working with us too. We are hoping to start on time tomorrow - Malian time that is. Dr. Tom and his crew began their clinic today as well and expect to see between 2,000-3,000 patients by the end of our week.
The art and music team has also taken on hygiene education in partnership with UNICEF while we are here working in the schools. They expect to see between 4,000 and 5,000 kids this week! There is much work ahead of us and we are full of energy. Bon Soir
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We just heard from Bamako and the main team arrived safe and sound with all of their luggage too.
They were in the bus and headed for the hotel for a good night's sleep. More tomorrow!
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The advance team has arrived in Mali! Today's weather in Bamako was a toasty 91 degrees.
The group has made a trip to Oulessebougou to check out Dr. Omar's new facility. Our electrician R.C. has already been working to assure our equipment will function. The doctors and nurses are starting to get set up for the week's surgeries.
Best of all, they have seen Boi! He is still ornery (like any little boy his age!), and growing and doing well. Dr. Tammy was so very glad to see him.
The rest of the team departed from the snowy midwest today and will arrive in Mali tomorrow.
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