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We care Missions Inc and Mercy foundation with eggon medical forum in Warrake/Auchi April 20-25 2009
This trip was organized by Madam Fatima Madus,the founder of We care Missions Inc. Making her third trip to auchi in 3 years, she organized medical doctors from Jos,and University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), nurses from Auchi and medical students from the United States to partake of the mission. The mission set up an outreach free clinic for primary health care consultation and free surgeries for the residents of Warrake and Auchi. First day of the mission was hectic, as we had to organize the medical supplies and make sure equipments were working properly, setup rooms for lab tests, assign rooms for consultation and visual acuity check, train nurses in reading glucometer, assign nurses to doctors, make available translators, setup a pharmacy room, and so on; on this mission, anti-hypertensive drugs, anti-helmintic, anti-ulcerative, anti-spasmotic, analgesics, laxatives, anti-diabetic, anti-muscuranic agents, steroids, antibiotics, and anti-malaria agents constitute our armamentarium.
At each location, Warrake and Auchi, each doctor and medical student duties were to serve as primary consultants with subsequent diagnosis and treatment of the patient’s condition using signs and symptoms as the primary guide. The lab work served as an auxiliary. There were approximately 4 consultants at each location and we saw approximately 200 patients per day in each location. And yes, we were not only overcome with fatigue at the end of each day, we were also enervated. Such inertness was relieved with the emotional reward of knowing that one has made a difference in the lives of the locals, no matter how small, at the end of the day.
 A typical day would start with a patient being seen by a consultant and then diagnosed and prescribed a medication or medications. Basic lab tests such as Urinalysis, Retroviral Screen, CBC and Hematocrit can be ordered if deemed necessary. Although we diagnosed and treated several conditions that would include arthritis, inguinal hernia, vaginitis, urethritis, typhoid fever, malaria, hypertension, diabetes, peripheral neuropathy, stroke, premenstrual syndrome, dry eyes, presbyopia, postmenaupasal syndrome, we mainly encountered patients with arthritis, malaria, typhoid, hypertension and diabetes. Occasionally we diagnosed H.I.V and once came across a patient with elephantitis of the scrotum that weighed 27kg, yes that’s approximately 6o pounds. The whole town knew of this man, he was said to have had this for as long as anyone could remember. And yes, he was probably infertile. After our surgeons finished working on him, even though he probably remained infertile, he now had the volition to live a normal social life, one without ridicule on the streets. There was also a case of a woman who had a lipoma right on her forehead. One of our surgeons, Dr. Sinki, said she came complaining to him that “Because of this ting for my head I not fit find husband, dokito, abeg if you fit helep me remove am, I know say men not go run from me again, abeg helep me”. After the surgery for the removal of the lipoma, it was said that she was already looking forward to finding a husband that would cherish her new look.
Another interesting thing was that it seemed every patient complained of pain, especially multiple joint pains. Without even speaking, they would describe their pain as from the hip down. As a result, we prescribed several analgesics. In fact, I don’t recall a single case where I did not prescribe analgesics. Pain in this town was just one of the vicissitudes of life. Hypertension was prevalent, much more than I thought. There were several cases of hypertensive urgencies where I had to administer, immediately, some anti-hypertensive meds. As much as I advocated them going to the emergency department, some refused, stating that they were not hypertensive and that they already knew their diagnosis, it was either “give me eyedrops for my eyes”, or “give me anti-malaria or anti-typhoid fever meds because this is what I think I’ve got”. But most couldn’t afford it, as a result many more with hypertension had never been seen by a physician, others stopped taking their medications because of cost, even worse, some depended solely on herbal remedies while attributing every illness to worm disease. “I think I have worms all over my body” they would say.
The bottom line is we, in the medical field, need to do more to reach out to the not so fortunate in Nigeria; the amount of people without access to basic healthcare in this country is obscene, as I can attest to on my trip. Keeping in mind that the voluntary organizations in Great Britain and U.S.A in the 18th century often acted as pioneers in the development of the organized, and modernized healthcare systems that continue to thrive in these countries until this day, more of us should embark on missions of outreach, shoring up with our helping hands, Nigerian indigent, against the waves of inadequate healthcare . This way, one deed at a time, no matter how small, through voluntary associations, I believe could spring forth real changes.
Don't forget to check-out our 'Calendar of Events' link for more information about upcoming medical missions. Also, while each mission will vary, feel free to contact me at otakins@gmail.com if you have questions or would like more details.
See previous medical missions
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