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Mission 84 Complete: Enugu, Nigeria - June/July 2003
mission complete July 6, 2003 (524 days ago)
From June 22 to July 6, 2003, the ICHF team completed a successful two-week mission to NIGERIA. Twelve children were provided life-saving cardiac surgery during this mission. During this mission, ICHF 1) provided life-saving surgery for 12 infants and children with otherwise lethal heart defects; 2) provided education and training for the local Nigerian doctors and physicians; 3) donated critical operating room and intensive care unit supplies that may be used by the Nigerian team to continue surgical program development; 4) repaired existing equipment.
Medical volunteers for this mission included two pediatric surgeons, two intensivists, two anesthesiologists (one from Colombia), 12 specialized ICU nurses, and two biomedical engineers. All of these professionals donated their time and expertise toward this humanitarian mission. In addition to the core team members, a large contingent of team members participated from the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) Children's Hospital. Several veteran team members from Kansas City also participated in this major ICHF mission.
This mission was particularly challenged in several areas. The massive equipment and drug shipment was delayed in Lagos for two days while clearing Nigerian Customs. At UNTH, we were challenged by frequent electrical power failures. The majority of our surgeries and post-operative care was conducted under emergency backup generator. Our biomedical engineers provided invaluable support while repairing unexpected local equipment failures. The Nigerian medical and nursing staff were helpful. Because of economic and political complications, this local medical team has struggled with obtaining medicines which are trully packaged and potent. Our team witnessed this sporadic drug potency. A Nigerian political crisis forced a country-wide strike which further limited electrical power supplies and other support needs. Lastly, one team member became infected with malaria despite appropriate antimalerial prophylaxis. NEVERTHELESS, our ICHF team and the local team pulled together to transform this tenuous situation into a highly successful mission.
This was the 84th ICHF mission. ICHF has now provided life-saving heart surgery to 1670 infants and children. Your support is critical for this continuing work. Please consider providing support toward this life-saving work. Without you, parents are left to watch their children become increasingly fatigued, blue, ill, and die because necessary surgical correction is unavailable.
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