Earthwide Surgical Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, dedicated to delivering surgical care to the poor of the world by means of manpower, equipment and education.
4/02/2013
600 lbs of SUPPLIES
We are getting ready for the May trip to Nigeria. We have 600 lbs of supplies. Guess we will be paying overweight!
3/27/2013
EDUCATION
ANESTHESIA WORKSHOP
Anesthetic Techniques for the Complex and Unusual Patient
SPONSOR: Earthwide Surgical Foundation and the Nigerian
Christian Hospital.
OBJECTIVE: The workshop will focus on techniques for the safe
anesthesia in the complex and unusual patient. Emphasis will be on 1. The
difficult airway, 2. The thyrotoxic patient, 3. Vascular access.
This will be a practical, hands-on course in
anesthesia concentrating on complex general/head and neck surgery.
TIME/LOCATION:
May, 2013 at the Nigerian Christian
Hospital, Mile 11 Ikot Ekpene Rd, Aba, Abia State
PROCTOR: The course Proctors will be Eric
Ojeh and Wilson Anyanwu-Both
trained nurse anesthetists with a vast experience. The course Director will be Brian Camazine, MD, a Harvard
University trained General/Thoracic Surgeon. Dr. Camazine is President/Founder
of Earthwide Surgical Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to the
surgical care of the poor of the world. He has over 25 years experience in
humanitarian work in Nigeria.
COST: N10,000
PER PARTICIPANT. Covering feeding and accommodation
Space will be limited to 3 trainees per session to
maximize the ‘hands-on’ experience and permit a close interaction with the
proctors.
CONTACTS
Mr Eric Ojeh ( CRNA)
HOD Department of Anaesthesia
Nigerian Christian Hospital, Nlagu
08033911318
Mr Anyanwu Wilson
(CRNA)
SNO National Orthopaedic Hospital Enugu
08035418139
mywilsonus@yahoo.com
3/24/2013
I'D RATHER DIE THAN HAVE A COLOSTOMY
A lot of patients in the USA say "I'd rather die than have a colostomy". Sure, its not pleasant and requires a learning curve to become familiar with it. But most patients adapt without significant problems.
Its a different story in the third world! Often, there are no ostomy bags or the bags are so poorly made that they fall off the stoma or leak. When there are no bags, patients get creative but it is a difficult situation.
RECENTLY I RECEIVED THIS EMAIL!
Date: Thu, Mar 7, 2013 at 9:19 AM
Subject: I NEED YOUR HELP
Dear Dr, I sincerely need your assistance seriously. I have been with colostomy since 2006 but to get good adhesive bags has been a very big challenge for me. You won't imagine how I have been managing myself since then. It is really shameful and disgraceful. I pray for your help. I am a Nigerian precisely from Imo State.
It has been long, at least seven (7) years now I have been looking and praying for help in order to manage this health situation I found myself. Nevertheless, I never bargained for this but I have been managing it with its shame and disgrace since then since the spirit of suicide is far from me.
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| Management of colostomy without bag |
Thank God I got your contact through a friend in London whom I asked to help me get any association that can help me with the bags since it is difficult to get a good adhesive one here in Nigeria.
Dr., I pray to see you by May as you said because I have seen hell due to this situation. Not only that I cannot find a good bag but the irregularity of excretion is another big problem. The feces comes out any how. The worst part of it, is the offensive gas I often produce through the colon. The offensive gas keeps me uncomfortable even those around me. Dr, what do I do to these problems?
This poor Nigerian man had a colostomy because he was told he had rectal cancer. Unfortunately, there was no cancer! But now there is a permanent colostomy. There was no ostomy nurse to show him how to care for the ostomy and no good colostomy bags!
I had this patient visit the Nigerian Christian Hospital to see Smart Uruakpa, RN. Smart assists me in surgery and we gave the man the few colostomy bags I had. With the help of FOW-USA (Friends of Ostomates), I will get ostomy bags for this man and hopefully change his life for the better. FOW is already helping with colostomy and urostomy bags for many of my patients in Nigeria.
3/22/2013
NEXT TRIP
| Would you like to travel 14 hours on a plane with this woman? |
| Maraya Camazine suturing in Guatemala |
In May, I am returning to Nigeria with Don Thompson, Maraya Camazine (my daughter) and Barbara Maufas. I have written about Don previously.
Maraya is Premed at UT Austin. She has been on mission trips to Nigeria, Guatemala and Belize. She is quite accomplished at surgical closure.
Barbara is an operating room nurse who has been to Nigeria 5 times. I first met her through my wife when they were both working in the operating room at Fort Hood. She is loved by all.
3/19/2013
WHO IS DON THOMPSON?
Don is a great guy. A true Christian, husband, father and grandfather. Also a pilot, jet engine mechanic, AC mechanic, business man, property manager, etc. AND, he plays Santa at Christmas.
Don is a great surgical Technician. He was awarded the Golden Scalpel Award from Earthwide Surgical Foundation, along with Smart Uruakpa. I am lucky to have him accompany me on my trips
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