October 2006 Newsletter 1st Edition
CURRENT ACTIVITIES
Welcome to the Australian Doctors for Africa October newsletter. This year has seen our organisation go from strength to strength and accomplish some fantastic achievements, which would not have been possible without the help and support of our volunteers and members. The membership base continues to grow, with over 100 member subscriptions received to date. Our volunteer base is expanding both on the operations side with more doctors, physiotherapists and nurses registering as volunteers, and on the administration side with a recent influx of personnel. We now have designated positions of communications officer, membership officer/general office, fundraising and clerical, and special projects. Mr Robert Forward continues to do excellent work on a voluntary, but almost full time basis for the organisation. At present we are continuing with three active projects in Ethiopia, Somalia and Madagascar.
SOMALIA
Building on previous visits to Bosaso General Hospital, an orthopaedic team consisting of Mr Graham Forward, orthopaedic surgeon, Dr Rod Thelander, anaesthetist, and Sister Mary Watson, theatre nurse, visited Northern Somalia from 23rd of April until the 7th of May 2006. During the six days at Bosaso Hospital many patients consulted with our team and from those clinics they operated on 20 patients, difficult cases under difficult conditions. There is no orthopaedic service in Bosaso and a bad fracture condemns a person to a life of disability. Local staff appreciated being taught by the Australian Medical Team and especially Sister Mary Watson who made a great contribution to improve the general standard of hygiene and organisation around the operating theatres.
A container of medical equipment has been sent to Bosaso Hospital to help with the further improvement of the hospital conditions as well as the team leaving medical equipment with the local doctors.
The team then flew on to Hargeisa to assess the suitability of conditions there for future visits. During the three days two hospitals were visited. Australian Doctors for Africa contributed a large amount of hospital linen which was sent to the maternity hospital in Hargeisa under the auspices of a project of Curtin University and United Nations Development Programme.
Progress continues at Bosasa to obtain a plot of land suitable for the construction of a dedicated orthopaedic hospital. Dr Abdulaahi has secured an appropriate plot of land on the coast. Efforts are being made to communicate with Bosaso to discover the nature of tenure and whether this land can be donated or needs to be purchased.
ETHIOPIA
In Ethiopia there have been two visits for orthopaedic operating carried out during August 2006. Firstly by Mr Tim Keenan orthopaedic surgeon and his daughter Kassie, who is a trained theatre nurse. Many patients were assessed in Gondor with the organisation and support of Julie Spriggs an Australian physiotherapist who is located there. Plans were made for the next orthopaedic visit and patients were operated on in conjunction with the orthopaedic surgeons on site. In Addis Ababa Mr Keenan organised the arthroscopic equipment and carried out several demonstration arthroscopies. A dozen patients were arranged for subsequent visit by Mr Graham Forward who carried out basic teaching as well as operating on these patients.
Earlier in the year a young Ethiopian woman with severe ankylosing spondylitis was brought to Perth for bilateral simultaneous hip replacements. This was carried out with the generous support of St John of God Hospital Subiaco including the nursing staff in the operating theatre and on Ward 52. Mr Bill Gilmour and Dr Rob Storer gave their time and expertise freely to assist Mr Graham Forward in the surgery. The patient has subsequently returned to Ethiopia and is walking and mobile, free of pain. She is planning to commence employment and her family say that this has been a miraculous change to her life.
MADAGASCAR
We have a large quantity of donated medical equipment packed, including an anaesthetic machine, medical imaging equipment and gastroenterology equipment. Along with this there is a large amount of donated linen, bedding and beds to be given as a gift to the Clinique St Luc and the general hospital in Tulear. Some difficulties are being experienced with the customs clearance in Madagascar. Once customs has been cleared the supplies will be packed into the booked sea-container and shipped to Madagascar.
An orthopaedic visit has been arranged for two weeks to Tulear on the 18th November 2006. Personnel will be Mr Michael Tiller, orthopaedic surgeon, Dr Mark Salib, anaesthetist/emergency physician, Mrs Jan Tiller and Nurse Emily Forward. Mr Graham Forward, orthopaedic surgeon will attend for a limited period of time.
ERITREA
An approach has been made to Australian Doctors for Africa by the Eritrean Ambassador to Australia. We are in preliminary negotiations to provide an appraisal and orthopaedic visit to Eritrea in February/March 2007. Funding is actively being sought for this project. Eritrea and Australia have a long history of medical assistance following from Dr Fred Hollows and his ophthalmology work in the 1980’s.
Fundraising
ADFA constantly works on updating and improving its publicity materials. A flyer, business cards and billboards have been produced to accompany the existing power point presentation. We would like to thank Peter Connor of Snap Printing West Perth for his support and donations. Julian Randall kindly updates our webpage regularly with the most recent projects and their outcome. Check out the website on www.ausdocafrica.org.
An Easter Raffle led by Sonja Jennings and the orthopaedic wards 51 & 52 at St. John of God Hospital Subiaco raised $950.
The Mining Magazine Paydirt kindly offered Australian Doctors for Africa a stand at the International Mining Conference Africa Down Under held annually in Perth. We were able to expose our work at a stand manned with two delegates from ADFA over the two and a half days of the conference. A raffle held at the conference raised $ 1,505. The established contacts with mining companies are currently being followed up and Paydirt invited us to participate again next year.
Fundraising proceeds with corporate assistance from a number of Western Australian benefactors. A morning tea to celebrate the anniversary of Australian Doctors for Africa will be held at the Boatshed Restaurant in South Perth on Thursday 16th of November at 9:30 am. If you would like to attend please contact Robert Forward on 9321 5480. Australian Doctors for Africa relies fully upon donated funds and equipment to allow our activities to continue. At this stage the itinerary and trip planning for 2007 is underway and a busy programme is expected.
MEDICAL STUDENT ELECTIVES
Australian Doctors for Africa is working towards building relationships with other charities so that we may assist each other in regions where both charities are working towards the same goals and outcomes. In association with Hope for Children www.hopeforchildren.org.au and Hands of Help www.handsofhelp.org we hope to build on the work of Dr Kate Keating, Sister Moira Ryan, Sister Margie Tulloch and Mrs Jenny Keenan who worked intensively with Jacquie Gilmour in Babile Ethiopia during August 2006. Many children were assessed with a health profile and treatment was provided for children in need. We have arranged a further elective medical student visit with supporting nursing staff and logistics person in December 2006. The Director of Hands of Hope, Phoebe Williams is carrying out an appraisal visit in December 2006 to assess the possibilities of future large scale medical student elective in Gondor, Addis and Babile. Cherie Graziotti is a medical student who will visit Ethiopia in December 2006/January 2007 to further advance the project of the development of a health monitoring and screening instrument for the children under the care of Hope for Children.
MEMBERSHIP TO ADFA
Membership for Australian Doctors for Africa is for a 12 month period from 1st November to 31st October each year. Renewals are sent out annually. Currently we have 130 members and continue to grow. All funds raised through memberships go directly to our projects. If you have family or friends who may wish to join please direct them to us. We also have donation gift vouchers which may be a lovely idea with Christmas fast approaching if you are struggling to think of something for a loved one who has everything.
The management team of ADFA thank you for your support during the first year of the charity. We feel a great deal has been achieved during the first 12 months. Your continued support to ADFA will help us to achieve life changing results in Africa and Madagascar.