During this month of June 2013, the Neurosurgery, Education and Development Foundation (NED) have continued its program of projects in East Africa. At this time several teams of specialists have traveled to Nyeri (Kenya), Pemba, and Zanzibar (Tanzania) in order to consolidate its presence in the region.
Rosa, Erme, Susana, Irene and Cristian have done an excellent job in Wete and Chake Chake hospitals on Pemba Island. Coordinated by Dr. Rosa Barrachina have seen more than 200 gynaecological and paediatric patients. He has performed numerous gynaecological and obstetric care in the delivery rooms were all patients that calved during their stay, controlling postoperative and postpartum, breastfeeding support and care to the infant. The draft Gynaecology – Paediatrics is already a reality thanks to the efforts and energy of Rosa Barrachina. What a great job! Our most sincere congratulations for your generosity and courage.
Then Luis Moreno and Jose Piquer traveled back to the heart of Kenya, to the region of Nyeri. Together with the local neurosurgeon Dr. Peter Wanyoike was organized “Neurosurgery Intensive Day”, three operating rooms exclusively dedicated to neurosurgery. We finally operated 18 patients in one day: neuroendoscopies, brain tumours, spinal cord injuries, laminectomy … It was another milestone for African neurosurgery hard to match in any hospital in our environment.
The team, then moved to Zanzibar to meet an extensive program of activities and orthopaedic and neurosurgical interventions, joining the group the NED volunteer: Gisela, Pedro, Olga, Alba, Africa and Cristina.
NED activity in Pemba and Zanzibar, managed to combine the record figure of 13 volunteers in two weeks, which developed a enormous work as health care as educational: obstetrics and gynaecology at high risk, postoperative neonates, traumatology and neurosurgery extremely complex …Days of over 12 hours, without discouragement, without discouragement.
Once again, we were able to repeat a quintuple neuro-intensive, orthopaedics, gynaecology, paediatrics and neurosurgery program. It was a highly complicated mission. HUGE! Congratulations to ALL. It has not been easy, they know perfectly: very complex patients with delicate comorbidities, small in very serious situations…
However, you HAVE GOT IT. Hundreds of patients have been treated and the number of interventions trauma / neuro / gyn has exceeded the 70, always trying to tutelary, train and gain the trust of local health staff to continue growing together.
This continuous return reminds a thought of those lands: “NOT ALLOW THE RITUAL REPEAT A STERILE FORM AND RETURN A IMMUTABLE GESTUALITY BUT AGAIN AND AGAIN RESET CERTAINLY SOMETHING EQUAL, BUT AT A TIME INDEFINITELY NEW”
During this stay, we signed the construction of Mnazi Mmoja – NED Institute with the Ministry of Health of the Government of Zanzibar. The works will start this summer. It was the most difficult, as we said, it is easier to move a mountain by an ant to move to the rulers. Finally, we succeeded. It remains to be done: funding, time, volunteers…
We calmly believe which is the big step that NED needs to consolidate all of its programs. Get up to all, much depends on you.
Once again, many of you have discovered that Africa is a surprising and extraordinary continent, full of cultural and human wealth, whose only attraction inspires the desire to live it and know it thoroughly. However, Africa remains the poorest continent in the world with the worst health indicators and the worst income per capita in the world. In this context, NED attempts to provide the best we have: knowledge, time and especially the generosity of its volunteers.
Finally, note that at the heart of all of us has been the memory of TONY, energy, wisdom, generosity … Thanks to you we still believes that: if you are rich but you are not generous, it is as though you have nothing. We rededicate the video you loved…
Eternal embrace.
JP
