THE EASTER BREAK WAS WELL SPENT IN RENDERING MUCH NEEDED MEDICAL SERVICES IN FOUR TOWNS OF THE UPPER WEST REGION FROM 17TH – 21ST  APRIL 2014. THESE TOWNS WERE NADOWLI, JIRAPA, TUMU AND LAWRA. THIS WAS ORGANISED BY PROFESSOR FRANCIS ABANTANGA , A  PAEDIATRIC SURGEON AND FORMER HEAD OF SURGERY , KATH. THE OUTREACH WAS ORGANISED AS PART OF ANNUAL HEALTH SERVICES DELIVERED TO DEPRIVED AREAS OF THE NORTH THROUGH APRIDEC , AN NON FOR PROFIT ORGANISATION  FORMED IN 2010 BY PROF ABANTANGA. VOLUNTEERS WERE DRAWN FROM THEATRE NURSES, ANAESTHETIST, OBGYN SPECIALSIST, GENERAL SURGEONS, NUTRITIONISTS, PUBLIC HEALTH NURES, ENT SURGEONS ,PHARMACIST ETC.

SERVICES RENDERED INCLUDED THYROIDECTOMIES, HERNIORRHAPHIES, HYDROCELECTOMIES, PELVIC FLOOR REAPIRS FOR VARIOUS FORMS OF UTEROVAGINAL PROLAPSE . SURGERIES PERFORMED IN ALL FOUR TOWNS FOR COVERING THREE DAYS OF WORK WAS OVER 200 .BREAST CANCER SCREENING , EDUCATION, AND TRAINING WAS CARRIED OUT FOR OVER 2000 PEOPLE.

LOCAL SUPPORT WAS LARGELY SATISFACTORY . THIS WAS DEMONSTRATED IN PROVISION OF COMFORTABLE ACCOMMODATION AND LOCAL DELICACIES. LOCAL STAFF SHOWED ENTHUSIASM AND OFFERED ASSISTANCE IN ALL  THE CASES DONE.

CHALLENGES ENCOUNTERED WERE POWER FLUCTUATIONS, INADEQUATE NUMBER OF ANAESTHETIC MACHINES , UNAVAILABILITY OF ESSENTIAL MONITORING DEVICES, UNAVAILABILITY OF SOME KEY BASIC LABORATORY SERVICES. OTHER CHALLENGES IDENTIFIED WERE THE LACK OF A SYSTEM FOR THE TRANSPORT OF BIOPSIES TO AND FROM LOCAL FACILITIES. THESE CHALLENGES WERE COMMUNICATED TO THE DISTRICT HEALTH DIRECTORATE FOR CONSIDERATION.

THE TEAM ARRIVED SAFELY AT KATH ON THE 21ST APRIL, 2014. THE PROGRAMME WAS SEEN TO A HUGE SUCCESS. THE NEXT OUTREACH PROGRAMME WILL BE IN DECEMBER, 2014 AT THE UPPER EAST REGION.

CREDIT : PROF F. ABANTANGA AND THE APRIDEC TEAM.

MORE INFORMATION:  WWW.APRIDEC.ORG

DR. R. AMETIH RESIDENT, GENERAL SURGERY, KATH.