A hospital attendant uncharacteristically approached me as I stepped out of the Jeep this morning. “Doctor Nicolau, we have a case for you in emergency.” His worry was justified. The child is just six years old, and I found him unconscious, with heaving respirations, and totally limp on exam. His BP only 60/0 and […]
My colleague, Steve Foster, is a renowned Canadian surgeon. In 1975, he and his classy wife Peggy arrived in Angola in one of the bloodier phases of this nation’s civil war. As a young physician right out of tropical medicine school I enjoyed a six-month residency on site at Kalukembe Hospital under Dr. Foster’s
This morning the mother of this two-week old girl declared “My baby Estele suddenly stopped nursing and now her entire body is limp!” Sure enough, the girl’s temp was quite low, her pulse rapid, and reflexes very poor. In North America we would be very suspicious of sepsis or pneumonia. But this is the
Angola was home of one of Africa’s longest running wars: 1961-2003. The use of child soldiers was not only common but accepted an a norm of combat. Yesterday I was consulted by a man, Feliciano, who as a soldier in 1999 was shot in the hip. As you can see, the bullet destroyed his
Picture this: I’m seeing a stream of people suffering from malaria, typhoid fever, deep bone infections, stroke, skin cancer, and then… “Doctor, I can’t sleep, I hear voices constantly, my entire body is burning, my brain is splitting open, and people want to kill me.” The spectrum and burden of mental illness in poorer
“Happy are the poor in spirit, the gentle, the merciful, the peacemakers” – This is the message today from Matthew chapter five, delivered by Pastor Moses in the village next to our hospital. Here amid very crowded, humble, and cold conditions reside families of patients who’ve come for treatment, as well as those who
What’s the importance of dental care? This child arrived at Lubango Evangelica Medical Center, in Angola of southern Africa, with an abscess draining from under his chin, and with infection racing down his neck and into the chest. The source of his infection? A tooth abscess. The risks of his infection? Loss of his
This 7-year old fell one month ago, injuring her left leg. Mother brought her today to the Lubango Evangelical Medical Center, where I found the girl draining copious pus from several tracts just below her knee. Can you guess her diagnosis? Take a look at the X-ray: She fractured the tibia,
Key provisions of the federal government’s health insurance mandates were postponed last week. Nevertheless, amid frustrating electronic health records, flat salaries, declining reimbursements, and the ever-present threat of litigation, healthcare personnel persistently ponder, “Maybe it’s time that I pursue the career I once dreamed of…” What is your dream career? Many wax poetic
Ethiopia? East Saint Louis? El Salvador? Compassionate healthcare persons are prone to bold moves on behalf of marginalized people wherever they are located. This movement is accentuated by professionals who inspire us all toward similar service. The winners of the 2013 INMED Awards, just announced at the Exploring Medical Missions Conference, are exemplary models.