In the 1990s I moved to the war besieged city of Huambo, in central Angola, to assist churches in starting up a health ministry. My Angolan counterpart was Cesário Sapolo, pictured here in front of the house where I lived. Cesário distinguished himself as a model human: intelligent, social, and devoted to his family and […]
Back on July 6 I introduced Feliciano, struck by a truck and left with an open, dislocated elbow joint filled with dirt and gravel. Please see “Trauma & Hope – Angola Day 7” and the original photo of his injury below. Since that day, Feliciano has been receiving the antibiotic ceftriaxone and, more importantly, bravely
Steve Foster, left, has lived and served in Angola since 1978. A fully Board Certified Canadian surgeon, Foster and his classy wife Peggy over the last thirty-six years raised four children, save thousands from early death, and continue to inspire tomorrow’s healthcare personnel in this stark nation. Steve Foster was my mentor at Kalukembe Hospital
On call for emergencies one evening, I cared for a elderly man with acute bleeding into his bladder. This caused obstruction of urine outflow, a huge bladder, and extreme pain. Simply placing a Foley catheter thru the penis or directly through the abdominal into the bladder was no solution, since the clots obstructed any hope
Here’s a story that will make you smile… Steve Foster, my mentor and Angola’s surgeon extraordinaire, came home tonight describing how that he saw a dehydrated child in clinic this morning. “Give him Ringer’s Lactate, one liter each 5 hours,” instructed Foster, in his deep, declarative voice. Ten hours latter Foster returned, and found
What is the world’s most life-saving drug? Penicillin against infections? Quinine against malaria? Furosemide against heart failure? Hydrochorothiazide against hypertension? My nomination I hold here in my hand. João Manuel has been coughing blood and loosing weight for six months. His chest X-ray shows white out of both lungs and he requires 5 liters of
Yesterday I cared for three young people with rapid onset coma and hemiplegia. They were also all malaria test positive. Malaria can cause a plethora of neurological signs, and no confirmatory brain imaging is available out here. So I started IV quinine and today – miraculously- all three patients resolved their deficits and woke up.
This morning the staff of our small medical center met together as Pastor Moses opened his Bible to Luke chapter 10 and read, “On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. ‘Teacher,’ he asked, ‘what must I do to inherit eternal life?’ ‘What is written in the Law?’ replied
Lucia is just fourteen years young. Yesterday she suddenly lost ability to speak and also developed paralysis of her right arm and leg. Were she a lady in her sixties or seventies I would highly suspect a stroke. But a young woman in southern Africa with new neurological deficits? My provisional diagnosis is cerebral
Feliciano was struck by a truck as he tried crossing a road on the chaotic, crowded streets of urban Angola. Lacerated open at the elbow, the lateral ligaments were fragmented, exposed the entire joint space to dirt and gravel, and left his forearm gangling helplessly. Feliciano was carried to a health post were some