As the team approached Sohag by train from Cairo, we were wondering aloud what was in store for us. The only thing you know for certain on a mission is that every mission is different – the hospital facilities, the patients and types of cases, the capabilities and personalities of the local medical staff. For this mission, we had an additional question – would our equipment and supplies clear customs in time? And if not, could we gather what we needed locally?
As of now, our 15 bags and boxes are still sitting in Cairo. Hany Nabih, the president of Rotary of Sohag, believes our equipment is very close to clearing customs and reaching us in Sohag – thanks to the tenacity of his team. With surgeries starting tomorrow, that’s a welcome news!
This mission is also different in another way, by design. It’s a Training Mission. Rather than focusing on doing as many cases as we can in 2 weeks, we’re focusing on training the Sohag University Hospital physicians and nurses to serve their community.
As Dr. Kristin Stueber said, “Here [in Sohag] we have a very sophisticated group of surgeons who are already doing excellent work but limited in what they are capable of. My personal philosophy is that we should no longer be doing trips where we just go and operate. In most places there are qualified doctors that we need to teach to take care of their own people; we need to transfer that technology.”
During Opening Clinic on Monday, we saw 24 patients, aged 1 mo – 28 yrs old. Most have complex cases and are current patients of the hospital. Because of this, Opening Clinic was a little different.
Patients were brought into a large meeting room one by one. The SUH physicians presented a power point with each patient’s history and previous surgical decisions, providing a larger context for the physical exam. Our physicians discussed and debated options for next steps for each patient with the SUH team.
We will likely operate on ~14. This will give our team the time to work side-by-side with the SUH team, share new techniques, and build practical skills.
To our friends at the Paramus Rotary Club, Paramus Sunrise Rotary Club, Rotary District 7490, Rotary Club of San Francisco, Trinity International Mission, NJ, and Rotary Club of Sohag, thank you for making this possible!
