Dr. Art Ammann, the president of Global Strategies for HIV Prevention (the partner organization we went to Goma with) has been in Congo for the last few weeks with a team that included medical professionals from First Pres. (Laura Sera and Randy Bergen). Art has written a couple of reflections that we wanted to share with you on the Goma Team blog.
September 1, 2007
First – some news has been reaching the US that there is increasing rebel activity in the area surrounding Goma, Congo where we are located. Yesterday, the roads to Binza and Masisi were closed. These are two areas where we (Global Strategies for HIV Prevention) will be implementing prevention of mother to child transmission HIV transmission programs. We just completed our training workshop for 24 nurses and 3 doctors from 2 hospitals and 8 clinics in the region. The team from Masisi was still in Goma when the rebel activity increased, and they are safe in Goma waiting out the tension. The team from Binza was preparing to return home when the fighting erupted in the area between Goma and Binza where they live. Joseph Ciza, a nurse we work with who often goes into rebel held areas to treat patients affected by the war, arranged for the UN peace keeping mission, MONUC, to fly all of the people from Binza home! They arrived safely and we pray for safety and peace in their region.. Here in Goma, along with the team from Masisi, we are safe. The UN security forces have been here in Goma for many years and in fact, are headquartered just down the road from the Lusi's home. Regardless what happens around it, Goma remains stable in large part because of their presence. Dr. Jo Lusi, the surgeon who heads HEAL Africa has been hovering over us and is checking in constantly with the UN. The Global Strategies teams stay at his home, a wonderful retreat at the end of the day.
Although we departed San Francisco over 1 week ago, we have been in Goma only 5 days. It takes 3 days of travel to get here. We just missed the First Presbyterian Church of Berkeley (FPCB) team. They were the first of 3 groups from FPCB to come. They still talk of the group here, the impact that they had in pastoral care and are already looking forward to their return.
We came as the second group – primarily an assessment overview team. Morgan Davis, the chair of the Global Strategies board of directors, and his wife Sandy, Congressman McDermott and his wife Therese from Washington State, Laura Sera, a nurse from FPCB and myself (Dr. Ammann). Assessments ranged from investigating the hospital needs to nursing educational needs and orphan programs. For everyone except Congressman McDermott and I, it was their first eye opening trip to the Congo. Each night we would “download” during and after dinner. One of my favorite evenings was when Bridget Nolan gave a detailed history of the Congo to Congressman McDermott. The Congo receives virtually no US aid compared to its neighboring country, Rwanda.
The workshop for prevention of mother to child transmission of HIV finished with the support of the local Ministry of Health, a necessary requirement. The 24 nurses and 3 doctors have been certified. We are optimistic that our programs will move forward even in the face of rebel activity.
The third team is the medical team. Dr. John Schmaelzle, a urologist, arrived yesterday. It was also his first trip in the Congo and his first time to Africa. He was greeted with a full surgical schedule and lecture topics. Randy Bergen, a pediatric infectious disease specialist arrives in several days. He will be helping Dr. Vindu who is now caring for over 500 HIV infected children. Many are now on treatment for HIV and nutritional supplementation as malnutrition is quite severe in Goma. Randy will also be giving lectures to staff, students and doctors.
Laura Sera is connecting. We hope to encourage a volunteer nursing program. She is meeting with nurses going to the nursing school, conducting training sessions with the nurses at HEAL Africa, and doing a lot of one on one connecting while also gaining knowledge about the many ramifications of HIV on the community.
Next week is a full schedule of surgery, seeing patients, teaching and meeting with key individuals who we work with to manage our programs. These meetings are key as they are the individuals who keep things going when we are not here. Communication is difficult once we leave so we pray the meetings will be productive and clear.
Bridget Nolan as been responsible for all of the coordination of all three teams – a daunting task. We are appreciative of her skills and patience in carrying out the complex logistics of travel, accommodations, water supply , medicines, meetings, phoning, and emails. With over 25 people ranging from pastors to nurses, doctors, internet experts, business men and a congressman, over a 4 week period she is challenged daily.
Pray for strength for the people visiting, and for safety and wisdom. Pray for the people here who are encouraged by those who came but must remain under difficult circumstances.
Sincerely -
Arthur J. Ammann, MD, President
________________
September 4, 2007
When Jesus saw the crippled man lying by the Bethesda pool he asked, “Do you want to recover?” The man had been lying there 38 years “Sir,” he replied, “I have no one to put me in the pool.” Jesus answered, “Rise to your feet, take up your bed and walk.” John 5
We were reminded of the man who waited by the pool of Bethesda for someone to put him into the water to be healed. John Schmaelzle, a urologist, had arrived on his first trip to Africa and HEAL Africa in Goma, Congo. In the States he wondered what he would be doing, what resources were available for surgery and who he would be working with. On his first day of surgery, one of his patients was a man who had been operated on 4 years ago following a crush injury. The surgery to repair his urethra failed. He waited 4 years for someone to come to HEAL Africa with the expertise to make him well. It was a wonderful match – the patient in need and John Schmaelzle who had the expertise to help. Indeed it was like the story of the man waiting by the pool of Bethesda to be healed.
It was also Randy Bergen’s first time in the Congo. Randy is an infectious disease pediatrician who came to HEAL Africa to help Dr. Vindu, a Congolese physician, care for 175 HIV infected children who were being treated with antiretroviral drugs (the first in Eastern Congo). With funds from First Presbyterian Church of Berkeley, we are providing desperately needed nutritional supplementation. Randy’s first day involved seeing children not yet on treatment, reviewing his teaching schedule at the hospital. I stopped counting at 7 lectures scheduled in 10 days.
Laura Sera continues to connect in Goma. She is giving her second lecture right now to the nursing staff and tomorrow will be working in a well baby clinic before going to meet with the local nursing school. Her trip and the contacts she’s made have reiterated the important need for continuing education for nurses and their enthusiastic response to a nurse educator like Laura coming to teach new skills. Many sentences with regard to Laura start with “When you come back…”
From Laura…
Children have a hard life in Congo. On Monday morning I had a poignant visit with a little girl and her mother in circumstances that reflect the harsh reality of HIV/AIDS in Congo. It was the most difficult mixture of happiness and sadness I have ever seen. This mother, in the process of planning an adoption for her daughter, has already placed her young son. The reality of being an HIV infected widow in the Congo brings with it a heavy burden. Having had episodes of being very ill with the disease, she has become anxious to place her daughter; it is her greatest worry. The sorrow felt so raw as we talked of her plans for her daughter but the mother seemed joyous. Her daughter would be safe and loved and would have a future where she was going.
I have also been talking with a young boy at HEAL Africa. He spends his day in a wheelchair, his right leg partially amputated. Today he asked me to take him home with me. This serious young boy was at home in a rural village when rebel troops attacked. He ran away from the soldiers but fell into a ditch and a soldier came and cut him on his right leg. His father brought him to HEAL Africa where he has had several surgeries on his leg. It was the seriousness of this boy, his intense, quiet plea, his eyes that held a world of pain within them that continues to move me each time I see him. I wonder what is ahead for him. Children are very vulnerable in a war zone. HEAL Africa, our partner, brings children like this one real help for their present needs and hope for their future. I thank God for the work that is being done by the caring staff of this organization and for bringing me here. It has been a gift.
We finish our stay in Goma in several days. The commitment of these people is extraordinary. Their needs sometimes so great that we don’t know where to begin. We pray for our health care workers who attended our workshop who must now return to there homes in rebel held regions. Joseph Ciza, an amazing nurse called in advance and talked to one of the rebel leaders to request that our health care workers be kept safe. This area of the Congo is a strange mix of peace and war. We pray that peace will triumph.
Sincerely -
Arthur J. Ammann, MD, President
No comments:
Post a Comment