Medical
Report 2005
July 03 Update
March 03 Update
March 03 Journal
February
03 Update
Leadership
Afghanistan
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MEDICAL
TEAM - KABUL, AFGHANISTAN
MARCH
2003
After nearly five months of planning and preparation, the first
medical team representing the Memphis-Afghan Friendship Summit (MAFS)
arrived in Kabul, Afghanistan. The eleven person team, consisting
of four doctors, one nurse, one dentist, one dental assistant, and
four non-medical workers, began the week by accepting a dinner
invitation from the Minister of Public Health, Dr. Suhaila Sediq
and her staff. What an honor it was to meet Her Excellency, a
three star general. The best way to describe Her Excellency is to
relay the popular story about when Taliban soldiers threatened
to kill her and then ran in fear as General Sediq pulled out a
knife and asked the soldiers, "Who will be the first to
try?" What a great woman and respected leader!
The
Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) exemplified the gracious
hospitality of the Afghan people. Not only did the MOPH
meet the team at the airport upon arrival into Kabul, but also
provided transportation and a driver for the entire week. This act
of kindness was humbling and gratefully appreciated.
The
first full day in Kabul, the team hosted a food distribution with
the help of Morning Star Development (MSD), one of MAFS partners.
The distribution took place at a village complex called Tangi
Saidan. Food, clothing, quilts and mats were given to over 300
families living in the villages nearby. What a great first team
project! Each team member was able to personally greet, touch,
hug, and practice the Dari greeting of "A
Salaam ale kum," peace be unto you.
Dr. Zack Taylor gave a prayer of thanks for the provisions and for
the friendships that may be established because of this
distribution. Andrew Taylor shouted, "God bless you" in
Dari, "Khuda raim-kuna," as an amen to the prayer. Each
Afghan given supplies was extremely appreciative of the gifts and expressed
their gratitude for the personal interest in their physical and
spiritual well being. Although the team was able to serve this
small pocket of villagers in the foothills of the Hindu Kush
Mountains, there are multitudes of people all over Afghanistan
needing help in this war-torn, poverty stricken country.
Monday
afternoon, the team visited Malali Women's Hospital to meet
with the education director from the MOPH and area hospital
leaders to set up the work schedule for the week. The three family
medicine doctors and the nurse lectured and worked at the
women's hospital; the gastroenterologist lectured and worked at Ali Abad Hospital and Jamhvrit
Hospital; and the dentist with
his assistant lectureed and worked at Stomatology Hospital.
Everyone was eager to begin using their gifts and talents to serve
the people of Afghanistan.
Dr.
Fred Sperry, the dentist, and his wife, Sharon, established a
great relationship with Dr. Hamidi, the head of the
Stomatology
Hospital
(Dental). Dr. Zack Taylor, the gastroenterologist, renewed his
existing relationship with Dr. Sadiqi, an Afghan
gastroenterologist. Zack lectured, made patient rounds with Dr.
Sadiqi and assisted in doing GI procedures. Dr. Sadiqi was so
eager to learn updated techniques and GI literature.
The family medicine doctors, Preston Givens, Michelle Culbreth and
Larry Hornsby, were given the opportunity to lecture to the women
doctors and the ominous task of caring for numerous pregnant women
in an overcrowded hospital. The highlight of the day came when a
22 year old girl needed the expertise of the highly skilled
doctors. The patient, 24 weeks pregnant was eclamptic (high
blood pressure accompanied by seizures) and showing signs of
internal bleeding. Drs.
Givens and Culbreth were able to perform the necessary emergency
c-section to save the patient's life. Unfortunately, the baby was
too small to survive. Though the family was sad to lose the baby,
they were relieved that the mother survived.
Cindy
Taylor, a neonatal ICU nurse, worked in the nursery at the women's
hospital on Tuesday. What a difference there was between the
nursery in Kabul and the high tech NICU here in Memphis! There was
no running water in the nursery, therefore someone had to periodically pump
water into a bucket outside the hospital and bring it inside in
order for the workers to wash their hands. The electricity in the
hospital was off most of the day, except in the surgical suites
where a portable generator supplied the power needed. Unfortunately,
the need for electricity that day in the nursery was great when a
premature baby who had just been delivered was brought into the
nursery not breathing. Cindy and one of the doctors began the
emergency resuscitation measures needed immediately. Oxygen was
unavailable since the oxygen source in the nursery needed a small
electrical compressor in order to run.
Although the baby was able to briefly breathe on her own
and keep her heart rate up, her temperature was so low that cold
stress affected her breathing status and the need for extra oxygen
went unfulfilled. The baby did not survive the long attempt to
save her life.
Dan Batchelder, the director of Morning Star Development (MSD),
took three of the non-medical team members on a great Afghan
outing. Andrew Taylor, Julia Cawood and Courtney Ludema traveled
with Dan and an Afghan national, Muhammad Khan, to a village
outside Kabul called Istalif. After touring the village and seeing
the work MSD is doing in Istalif, Muhammad Khan led the small
group of explorers on a trek up a mountain. Of course, the
mountain had been previously cleared of land mines so the trek was
interesting and fun. What a great spring break memory!
On Wednesday, Rusty Griffin,
Zack and Cindy traveled to Herat, a city on the western side of
Afghanistan where they met with the Minister of Public Health from
that province. Rusty had traveled to Herat one month prior to lay
the ground work for this trip. The minister listed many needs and
requests where MAFS could be of help. Zack delivered an impromptu
lecture to a group of about 35 doctors at the only hospital in
Herat. After the lecture, Zack gave out stethoscopes to the
attending physicians as a gift from the MOPH in Kabul and MAFS.
The physicians were delighted and requested that Zack and other
doctors return to the hospital in the future for more lecturing.
They also listed many lecture topics they desired to hear more
about. That evening, the Deputy Minister of Public Health gave
them a tour of the hospital. He said the hospital holds 250
patients comfortably but normally aides 800-1000 per day.
Since this hospital has many needs there is great potential
for our help.
MAFS
members also met with friends from Global Partners (GP) to
brainstorm and plan future projects in which MAFS teams can
collaborate in Herat.
Thursday proved to be a holiday that the team was unaware of until
that day. The family medicine doctors diligently went to work
since babies have no sense of holiday timing. Dr. Sperry and
Sharon met with the head of the Stomatology Hospital to deepen
their relationship. The remainder of the team had the opportunity
to rest and become better friends with the Afghan staff at the
guesthouse. Cindy helped chop vegetables for dinner and encouraged
the cooks as they practiced using their English skills. This was a
great time for solidifying team member relationships as well as
building American-Afghan friendships.
Friday
is the Muslim equivalent to America's Sunday, a day of rest.
Nevertheless, the family medicine doctors happily went to work a
half day at the women's hospital bringing Michelle's total number
of deliveries to 30 babies over the three total days that she
worked. What a doctor! Zack gave a final lecture to the staff at
the Ali Abad Hospital. The Sperrys, Andrew and Courtney attended a
religious service that coincided with their religious beliefs.
Rusty, Julia and Cindy met with the assistant to the Minister of
Education for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Saqib, to give an update on
what educators in Memphis were working on to help students in
Kabul. Julia also delivered a Memorandum of Agreement from the
University of Memphis to the Ministry of Education in Kabul. Mr.
Saqib was thankful for the progress and looks
forward to future meetings.
The team's last night in Kabul was spent similar to the first.
Several staff members from the MOPH again invited the team to
dinner at the Marco Polo Restaurant. This was truly a typical
Afghan meal as everyone sat on the floor, eating Afghan style. The
Deputy to the MOPH, his technical advisor and the Minister of
Planning were the hosts. During dinner, different team members
shared personal experiences from the week. The Afghans were so gracious and appreciative of the team's
efforts during the week. The hosts reemphasized the need for the
friendship and partnership between the Transitional Islamic Afghan
Government and MAFS. The MOPH remains very open to all dialogue
and hopes MAFS is willing to give. Everyone left the dinner not
only physically satiated, but also mentally pumped to return to
Afghanistan in the near future. Each team member has developed a
sensitive heart for the Afghan people and has the desire to be
used as servants wherever needed.
End note:
St. Francis Hospital in Memphis sponsored the three doctors
from family medicine program with a gift of $5000 for the
Afghanistan project. The doctors were to use the money to help pay
for their flights, food, etc. Unselfishly, each doctor worked
extra shifts before leaving the United States in order to pay
most, if not all, of the expenses themselves. This then allowed
the St. Francis funds to be available for the needs of the Afghan
people.
They decided to purchase a generator and fuel for the
nursery at the Malali Women's Hospital. What a relief to know
these babies will have access to oxygen and warm incubators at all
times! Money was also given to purchase infant formula and bottles
for the nursery. There was an orphaned infant in the nursery while
the team was there that needed formula to survive. The day Cindy
was working in the nursery, the midwives were using one of the
last cans of formula they had in stock.
Another use of the St. Francis money went toward the purchase of a
generator for the community complex at Istalif, the village MSD
has helped rebuild after the Taliban burned out the whole village.
The community complex built by MSD holds a medical clinic and an
education building that is staffed and run by Afghans. With
a generator to provide electricity, the physicians working in the
clinic will be able to provide better care; no more working in the
dark, the water filtration system will be able to run, and heat
will be available in the cold winters. What a heartfelt gift from
St. Francis Hospital and the doctors!
As the team awaited the time to depart Kabul, the Deputy Minister
of Public Health, Dr. Ferouz, and the Minister of Planning, Dr.
Sherzai, came to the airport to see them off. What an honor it was
to have these important men interrupt their busy schedule on the
team's behalf!
The mission of MAFS is
to create an atmosphere of friendship, unity and brotherly love
for the future of Afghanistan, working together to rebuild a
nation. This medical team used this mission statement as a guide
to accomplish much for the Afghan people. There is so much more to
do!
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