“Why would you take away her last hope? If you tell my mother about the metastatic colon cancer she will die immediately! That would be cruel and I forbid you!” Luping’s son and I spoke in low voices just outside her hospital room. He continued, “I brought my mother to America to receive the […]
Some 600,000 women die worldwide each year from pregnancy-related causes, and 98 percent of these deaths occur in developing countries. The major causes of maternal deaths in developing nations, in numerical order of importance, are hemorrhage, peripartum sepsis, abortion, eclampsia and obstructed labor/ruptured uterus. Regarding the latter, obstructed and prolonged labor alone leads to
How would you work to improve the health of an entire community, rather than just one person at a time? We NEVER talked about this when I was in medical school, not even during our tiny public health course. I could wax poetic concerning all the reasons for focusing on health needs of individuals
“The kid’s been seizing for an hour, but the dad won’t let us give anything. No drugs, no oxygen. This kid’s gonna die!” The paramedic’s speech was pressured. “He’s turning blue and the convulsions have not stopped since I picked them up in the shopping center parking lot. What else could I do?”
What curriculum do you use to complement global health classes, international electives, study abroad, or even cross-cultural competency? Unfortunately, most universities and residency programs have little to offer beyond thick textbooks. For the last year, Micah Flint and I have been creating for INMED a new series of online, self-paced courses covering the major
“You cast a spell on my babies, Doctor. Surely my babies are going to die! Your envious, evil eye, it discloses the wickedness of your heart!” She pulled her twins tight against her chest. “You are an agent of the Devil,” she spewed. I was stunned at the young Hispanic mother. We were
Yesterday the medical team of Lubango Evangelical Medical Center returned from their spiritual life conference. My timing to volunteer each July is primarily to provide the vacation coverage they need. Tonight as I walked the wards tonight of our little hospital my thoughts turned to Manuel with the infection that ate away his entire
Today in the midst of “normal” cases of malaria, amebas, schistosomiasis, I was summoned to see Feliciano. This boy of 6 was accompanied by his dad, who explained how over the last 4 months his kid has lost the use of his left arm, walks with an increasing limp, and now his mouth
At the Angolan medical center I’m presently being accompanied by four Canadian medical students. They are very sharp and eager to learn. The faith-basis of this facility is new to some. One student asked, “Just what is the Gospel?” That question caused me to ponder Jesus quoting Isaiah in Luke 4:17-18, “The Spirit of
Early this Sunday morning I visited the church that meets in the community just outside of town. The singing and message were both in Portuguese and Umbundo, the local language. I adore how the people clap and beat the drums and books and dishes to the rhythm of each song. Then, often we’re off