The University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH) opened their doors to our team for this two-week 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 were conducted under emergency backup generator.

Our biomedical engineers, Frank Watts and Daniel Finley, provided invaluable support by constantly dealing with power failures, ageing and obsolete wiring, and monitoring and infusion pump failures. The Engineering World Health (EWH) organization, founded by University of Memphis biomedical engineer Robert Malkin, has been instrumental in providing us with biomedical monitors and other equipment for missions.

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 truly 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. NEVERTHELESS, our ICHF team and the local team pulled together to transform this tenuous situation into a highly successful mission.

These are some photographs of the UNTH facilities and staff.

Dr. Taborda Aitken and Suzanne Gingras review a child's medical records during near continous ward power failure with lantern light

Nigeria is a republic in western Africa, bounded by Cameroon to the east, Chad to the northeast, Niger to the north, Benin to the west, and the Atlantic Ocean to the south. Nigeria has a federal form of government and is divided into 36 states and a federal capital territory. The country's official name is the Federal Republic of Nigeria.