 |
||
March 03 Update
|
Medical - Dental Report April to September 2005
The Memphis-Afghan Friendship Summit healthcare priorities for 2005 were established in late 2004 based on the opportunities and needs discovered during the 2 previous years of work. Medical and dental teaching, practice mentoring, and relationship building with Afghan providers in Kabul and Herat were the key interactions between Nov. 2002 and Sept 2004. We were then made aware of needs in the Bamiyan district, located in the central region of the country inhabited by the Hazaras. Approximately 600,000 people are provided medical and dental care through 2 hospitals (Bamiyan and Yawkalang) and several clinics. The Hazaras who populate this area are among the most oppressed peoples in the world. They particularly suffered terrible losses during the ethnic purging that took place under Taliban rule. Medical care has lagged and access to teaching and technology has been more difficult than in Kabul and Herat.
Bamiyan District In association with the Korean Foundation, who has been actively working in the Bamiyan district for 3 years, a medicine distribution was made to 50 villages in the vicinity of Yawkalang in early Dec. 2004. Dr. John Delzell and Mark Morris traveled to Yawkalang with Herbert Hong and Taeo Chung, holding a medical seminar for health care workers in the villages, before distributing the medicines. In April 2005, Zack and Cindy Taylor, Mark Morris, and Steve Moses returned to Yawkalang and several of the participating villages to assess the effectiveness of assisting individual villages, train village health workers, and research the need for medical teams to work in areas of great need. The response from the village leaders and people was overwhelming. The winter medicines given the previous December were felt to have saved lives and built a foundation for friendship and trust. This encouraged our heart and prompted us to plan at least 2 more visits in 2005.
June 2005 A medical and dental team traveled to Bamiyan and Yawkalang in June 2005. Team members included Fred Sperry and his son Stephen (Dentist and assistant) from Texas, Dee Kotschwar (Internist) and her husband Tom from Indiana, Diane Wells (Internist) from Indiana, and Zack Taylor. The team flew from Kabul to Bamiyan, and then drove westward to Yawkalang. A 2nd Medicine distribution with teaching seminar was held in Yawkalang to the same village leaders as in December. Summer medicines were given with an emphasis on seasonal illness. The team then traveled 2-3 hours each of the following 4 days to different villages, 3 of which had received medicines from MAFS. The team was assisted by Taeo Chung and Jaffar Jan, a prominent elder type leader for the much of the area. Medical and dental clinics were held in each village, in homes, mosques, and frequently on rooftops. Hundreds of people were examined and treated. The dental care, including extractions and fillings, was the first ever delivered to these areas. Community health issues were discussed with village leaders. Water contamination and sanitation needs were addressed.
The team drove from and back to Yawkalang daily. The roads were poor, passage difficult, and comforts few. Nevertheless, relationships were initiated and in many cases, deepened with returning to some villages. While in Bamiyan, our team met with Mr. Sisawo Konteh, the Director of the Bamiyan Hospital about their needs. He expressed a desire to have MAFS return with health care personnel to teach and work side by side with his doctors. Upon returning to Kabul, Dr. Sperry conducted a 2 day teaching course for over 55 dentist and oral surgeons at the Stomatology hospital. This was followed by his giving approximately $35,000 of donated dental equipment to all of the participants. It is impossible to describe the depth of friendship that was experienced.
August 2005 Another MAFS team returned to Bamiyan and Yawkalang in late August-early September 2005. This team included Dr. John Delzell (Family Med) from Kansas, Dr. Jim VanVooren (Family Med) from Minnesota, Dr. Rob Willis (ENT), from Hendersonville, Tenn., Dr. Bob Halter (Orthopedic Surgery) and his wife Cheryl (RN), from Michigan, Dr. Ghany Zafer (Anesthesia) from Memphis, Tenn., Dr. K. Sediqi (GI) from Kabul, and Dr. Zack Taylor (GI). This multi-specialty team spent one week working at the Bamiyan hospital with two days in Yawkalang. Basically, the surgeons operated and saw outpatients, Dr. Zafer worked with the hospital anesthetist in the O.R., Drs. Sediqi and Taylor performed upper endoscopies, and Drs. Delzell and VanVooren conducted rounds and worked in the medicine, pediatric and newborn wards. Cheryl Halter worked with her husband, including assisting with orthopedic care to women. Drs. Delzell and VanVooren, along with Mr. Chung, spent 2 days traveling back to some of the villages around Yawkalang where they spent time teaching community health principles and building deeper friendships.
Firsts During the time in Bamiyan, we had an opportunity to perform the 1st cleft palate repair in Bamiyan (Dr Willis), the 1st endoscopies, set up a plan for future endoscopy training through Dr. Sediqi, introduce newer concepts in medical care in all fields, and discuss improvement in the training and infrastructure of the hospital. Mr. Konteh, the hospital director proved to be a brilliant organizer and planner. His long range vision for the Bamiyan hospital and healthcare for the entire province, through the Agha Khan Health Care organization is innovative and exciting. We feel MAFS can be a vital partner in this plan and agreed to continue working together.
U.S. Ambassador Visits Bamiyan An unexpected, but delightful surprise during our trip was a visit to Bamiyan by the U.S. Ambassador the Afghanistan. We had the opportunity to speak with him and articulate what we saw as the needs and priorities in the district and at the hospital. A large USAID grant is in the works. Hopefully our feedback will give the U.S. government insight. I have had further correspondence with the Ambassador’s embassy management personnel and see this as an open door for further cooperation.
The Future What does the future hold for MAFS’ medical-dental program and Afghanistan? Through continued partnership with the Korean Foundation, we see many opportunities for expanding and improving health care, particularly in the Bamiyan district. MAFS will be returning to the Bamiyan hospital in November 2005, April, June, and September 2006. The hospital has asked us to come back with pharmacists, physical therapists, internists, pediatricians, OB-GYN doctors, general surgeons and all surgical subspecialties. They need nurses to teach their staff and help with hospital nursing organization. We remain committed to the continued supply of crucially needed medicines to the villages around Yawkalang especially during the winter months. More teams of doctors, dentists, nurses, and nurse practitioners will be needed for village clinics in 2006. Our priorities for 2006 will be Bamiyan directed. Other areas of the country, e.g. Jalalibad, Jogheri, Mazar-e-sharif also need help. Our hope is that participation and leadership will grow and all of these areas will be reached within the next few years.
|
 |
 |
||
|
|
||
 |
 |
|