Filipinos in need of surgical care were ready and waiting for the ISM team to open for business. Although Laoang has a hospital, doctors and nurses, surgical access is another story. Word had spread throughout the area to Filipinos with long-neglected medical problems requiring an operation.
A triage station was established to evaluate, prioritize and schedule patients who had traveled and lined up for surgical care.
Susan was the traffic cop of OR staffing and scheduling. The importance of her role cannot be overstated. With two OR's and two tables in each, it was not uncommon to have four surgeries occurring at any given time. Simultaneously, minor surgeries were scheduled in the emergency area of the hospital. All five surgeons were kept busy every day.
Filipino nurses and technicians assisted our medical team with admitting and preparing patients when they arrived for surgery.
Patients required considerable patience as they waited in the hallway - usually with IV's in their arms and often for hours on end. These folks didn't seem to mind waiting hours for their turns. After all, they had been waiting months and even years for treatment.
Goiter is an enlargement of the thyroid gland, and in underdeveloped parts of the world this condition is often brought on by a lack of iodine in the diet. The team performed many thyroid operations, and it is not hard to imagine the improved quality of life these patients will enjoy as a result.
The need for surgical intervention in the community is clear from the pictures. The goiters are very impressive, and the pathology is advanced. It looks like you were making a huge difference!
ReplyDelete