Surgery – Day 2

We got off to another early start, feeling somewhat refreshed after a long day of surgeries yesterday.  Upon arriving to the hospital, we received an update from our night nurses and interpreter, Maria, Aliza, and Molly.

As the day began, one of our first surgeries was a facial cleft.  For four hours, it required the skills of two of our surgeons, Dr. Andrew Scott and Dr. Rajanya Petersson.  It was an amazing transformation that will forever change the life of a five month old child.

Once a child’s surgery is finished, our anesthesiologist, Dr. Zipporah Gathuya, and the anesthetist from the case takes them to the PACU (Post Anesthesia Care Unit) under the watchful eye of our nurses and pediatricians.

Once the patients wake up from surgery in the PACU, they are given a baggie full of goods, including a homemade stuffed animal, blanket, beanie baby, and hygiene products. The kids’ reactions to the gifts never gets old, their stuffed toys never leave their sight.

Once a patient is stable, they are taken to the ward where Nurse Heather, Nurse Norie, and other hospital staff eagerly await to see the final results.

Finally, once the child is able to tolerate soft foods and drinks, they are prepared for discharge.  Our staff sits down with the family and addresses plans for care at home.

On our way home, we had the opportunity to visit a few departments of the local Government hospital.  Walking through the CCU (Cardiac Care Unit), we learned that it cost around 70 taka per night, about $0.90 in the United States, an amount that can be difficult for some locals to afford. Overall, we had a successful day completing 7 surgeries, continuing to screen a few new patients, and continuing CPR training with the medical staff, while continuing to make a difference in the future of the Rangpur Community Medical College hospital.