Monday, January 1st
The Hope team spent the holiday working at Selian hospital.
Performing a surgical pre-op clinic following our outreach clinic. We totaled 50 patients today which resulted in 30 surgeries booked whilst the rest being diagnosed and treated medically. Dr. Maya made it important to note that without the help of Hopes outreach clinic these patients would have never received the help they are receiving and the outcomes would have been tragic.
As a whole, we were impressed with the level of intellect and skill the hospitalists at Selian had. The clinic was well organized and the level of clinical flow made for optimal patient care. All around, the Hope team had a strong natural chemistry with Selian’s surgical staff, resulting in a successful day and promising hope for successful surgeries in the days to come.
The night of the 31st of December Gayle and Belle went to Julius’s house for a New Year’s Eve celebration. Sierra and Arthur weren’t feeling well and decided to stay at the hotel. Going to Julius’s house was very fun. Our favorite part was playing with Julius’s youngest son Jaiden. There were a couple things that surprised us. They had a laptop with American movies on it and we shot off fireworks at midnight. I didn’t realize fireworks were a thing here in Africa and I definitely didn’t know that American movies went across continents said Belle. Julius fed us and we had a bonfire and watched fireworks. We got back to the hotel around 1 a.m.
– Belle
“I absolutely loved the clinic today. It was incredibly organized and everything was done well. We were able to see patients that we had seen at the outreach clinic and get their labs done and schedule their surgeries. I was able to learn from all of the doctors. I would ask questions such as what does this level in a lab result mean and the doctors were very understanding and explained exactly what was happening. I know so much more about things like hyperthyroidism, nasal polyps, and different types of examinations. The doctors were just as well educated as the doctors I have met in the United States and they cared so much for their patients. I am so thankful that we were able to make such a difference in these peoples’ lives.”
- Sierra
“It was wonderful being able to connect with our patients that we saw in outreach clinic a few days ago. With the help of the doctors at Selian we were better able to diagnose our patients, take their labs, X-rays, and CTs if needed, and prepare our patients for surgery if needed. The team at Selian is great: they are very knowledgeable in their diagnoses and always ready to explain why they think what they think. Our patients were so thankful for the continued care they received today, and the team helped prepare them for whatever they had in store for them medically. As a nursing student myself I was impressed by the charting system they had for each of their patients online, making it efficient to see the charts of their patients and be able to explain and include their patients more easily in their diagnoses.”
All around it was a wonderful day for the Hope team, ringing in the new year with a purpose. A difference was made today at Selian Hospital and we pray for an even bigger difference to be made in the days to come as our surgical teams operate on the patients gathered from outreach clinic. Stay tuned for tomorrow’s blog which will detail surgical outcomes as Arthur and Belle observe these cases, in the meantime Sierra will be delivering meals to hospice and catering to all in need over there.
Happy New Year 🙂
