The first MMS of two back-to-back weeks near the East coast. Apart from the MMS team and pastor, we had a MAF film crew with us. The team was depleted by the dentist catching malaria and having to return to Marolambo for medical treatment.
When the team arrived in Sahakevo the weather was very beautiful, but as soon as everything was set up it rained torrentially; those “sleeping” in tents got very wet.
The next day, we began with a religious service led by the Pastor at 8 a.m., followed by speeches from the project manager explaining the progress of the activities to the patients who came in large numbers.
The MAF journalists started doing interviews and filming all the activities. They filmed many surgical cases and they were very interested and very satisfied with the team’s work.
During our stay in Sahakevo, there was propaganda for the legislative election and the village was very lively. On Thursday evening, a man was taken away by his family because he was beaten during the evening and his leg was injured; fortunately the wound was not very deep. We gave him stitches and the blood stopped.
MEDICAL CONDITIONS
Most surgical cases were serious including a caesarean operation. Malaria had taken an extreme toll in the village. With the doctor on site, we did a malaria test for each patient. In one hour, we tested 70 positive cases. Most were children aged 2-10.
A woman came for a consultation, she fainted in front of our doctors due to malaria. We had to resuscitate her urgently.
Most patients have splenomegaly and acites because the malaria is mistreated and attacks their liver; this is also due to poorly treated schistosomiasis. We tried to give them reliable treatment but due to the unexpected numbers our anti-malarial drugs started to run short.
An 8 year old child came with his family to have an ultrasound because his feet, hands, stomach and eyelids were swollen. We examined him and the results of the ultrasound showed that he had a kidney and liver problem. This was because of poorly treated bilharzia and the microbes attacked his vital organs.
A woman had bleeding for a week because she had a miscarriage and the team was able to manage her situation. On the ultrasound side, most patients have splenomegaly, this is also due to poorly treated schistosomiasis. We weren’t able to do a lot of ultrasounds because the sonographer is new to the team and she’s not yet keeping up with the pace.
Apart from malaria, lice are one of the problems in Sahakevo. They do not have a fixed place to raise the pigs and they roam everywhere in the village hence the reason for the lice everywhere.
On Friday the MAF plane picked us up. 3 people went to Ampasinambo for the next mission but the rest returned directly to Antananarivo.
Despite the bad weather and the cases of malaria which was a little worrying for the whole team, the week went well.
STATISTICS
Medical consultation 273; Ultrasound 63; Surgery: major 19, minor 3 Total: 345
