Fistula Camp

Fistula surgery here is headed by Frank (centre), who is a busy general surgeon. So to get a large number of cases done, train other Ugandan surgeons (2 on this occasion), and also to deal with very difficult cases Frank invites an expert (Tom Rassen) to come for 2 weeks. Frank also puts out advertisement on the radio to invite masses of patients.

85 ladies with injuries from obstructed labour came during the 2 weeks. We five doctors spent a day and a half examining them, and then 9 days operating successfully on well over 50 of them from morning till up to 9 at night!

Special memories for Dave were the patient, on whose birthday he did a special sling operating that he learnt in Sheffield one time. Another was a 12 year old, born with a displaced ureter that had leaked since her birth, which caused her to miss school (memories of the girl, Sara in Sierra Leone).

Another spin-off was that the theatre underwent a massive spring clean beforehand, and rain leaks, rat cupboards, and wobbly operating tables got sorted. We did have electricity and water cuts, which the visitor from Nairobi found disconcerting! Head torches and antiseptics made do. Generally it was a huge success. Thank God!