Monday 5 June 2017

how did that happen?

Somehow I made it home to embrace good old British summer! Transition is in progress and my fingers are blue as I type!!



I thought you might like to join me as I WOW at all that we have done these last few months in Benin!

I have to say I'm privileged to be doing my favourite job as 'Medical Capacity Building Director' - likely in my whole life I think. I feel like all my experiences up until now have been preparing me for it and have given me great insights into how to do it. Medical Capacity Building is Mercy Ships' fastest growing department and so it should be! We focus on providing training to local professionals and with 5 billion of the world's 7.5 billion people lacking access to safe and affordable surgery, I can honestly think of nothing I would rather be doing than trying to make at least a little dent in that....

We provided medical training for 1962 local medical professionals! This includes courses for anaesthesia and basic surgical skills as well as in depth training on the WHO Surgical Safety Checklist which has been shown to reduce mortality and complications by up to 50%! It's literally just a sophisticated checklist and yet when people work as a team it can dramatically transform patient safety and therefore save lives! We've also had all sorts of mentoring going on including nursing, surgeons, anaesthesia, biomed, sterile processing and Ponseti (treatment for clubfeet). With nearly 2000 people impacted by all these efforts, our teams have been busy - let's pray that seeds sown will save lives for generations to come.






We also provided free surgery to 1793 patients! Amazing!




78 Orthopaedic surgeries transforming bent legs and feet to ones that can run!









676 Cataract surgeries for 
both adults and children!




494 Max Fac surgeries!




52 Women's Health surgeries!



“I have another chance…” says Mabouba, 22, “…and it’s because of you.” Last November, Mercy Ships surgeons removed Mabouba’s life-threatening tumor. Six months later, she’s still relishing her second chance at life.  

How did that all happen?

Thank you, thank you, thank you for your love and support that makes this stuff happen!

Love always, KWW