Home > Galleries > Camerun. Yaounde. April 2022

LOGISTICS

This campaign was undertaken after the “Onana Fundation”, through his agent in Spain Jordi, proposed to “Cirujanos en Acción”  a pediatric surgical campaign in Cameroon in February 2022. It took 2 months to get ready after recruiting a group of 3 surgeons, 3 anesthesiologists and 3 nurses plus a pediatrician, to get the material needed,  the VISA, the invitation letter  and the permit to work in Cameroon.  Consumable materials and medications by a value of 3820 Euros were given by QuironSalud for this campaign.  Diputación de Badajoz give 6000 Euros yearly to Cirujanos en Acción.

We  dealt with Dr William Ngatchou Djomo director of “Center de Medicine du Sport” (CMS), who looked for patients. During March we interchanged whatsApps with pictures and medical information of some complex patients .

Finally the campaign was set in April  17 to April 28

 

PATIENTS

During this campaign 247 children younger than 18 years, and 2 adults were operated in two hospital localized in Yaounde.

 

List of interventions made in CMS from 18 April to 28 April 2022

Date Inguinal hernia Umbilical hernia Hydrocele Cryptorchid circumcision others Number of children
18/04 Right  2

Left    1

Bilat.  1

2 1 Right

Left

Bilateral  1

5 13
19/04 Left  4

Bilat  1

3 2 11 Hypospa-dias  3

Lipoma 1

25
20/04 Right  2

Left    3 Bilat   1

1 3 18 Lipoma 1 29
21/04 Left  2 2 1 Right   2

Blilateral 2

Hypospa-dias  1 10
22/04 Bilat  1 2 Bilateral 2 14 Fistula uretral  2 21
24/04 1 1 (+ cryptor.) Right  1 (+ hydrocele) 2
25/04 Left  1 2 3 Right  1

Bilat    2

Hypospa-dias 1

Queloid 1

Breast tuomor 1

12
26/04 Right   1

Left     1

Bilat    5

1 2 Bilateral 6 16
27/04 Left    1

Bilat   2

3 Left         1

Bilateral  1

Queloid 1

Cyst retor auricularis 1

10
28/04 Left   1 (+crypt)

Bilat   1

7 Bilateral 1 (+ hernia) Pre-pubic tumor 1 10

The total is 148 patients that have been operated in the Center de Medicine du Sport (CMS)

As some patients had more than one disease, the number of procedures is 177.

List of interventions made in Hospital Marie Christine from 18 April to 25 April 2022

Date Inguinal

hernia

Umbilical hernia Hidrocele Crytorchid circumcision others Number of children
18-  to 25 April Right 24

Left 4

Bilat 24

8 Rigt  9

Left  5

Bilat   1

45 101

Number of patients is 101, the number of procedures is 120

There were few complications: 2 relapses of inguinal hernia, one was re-operated, infection of surgical wound in 3 cases, a ureteral stenosis after a hypospadia operation and a boy started with fever and abdominal pain due to malaria 2 hours after be operated of cryptorchid. We did not know he was infected before surgery.

We have not had the chance of to know the pathology of the 2 tumors.

REPORT OF THE CAMPAIGN

1-Places of work

We have worked in 2 hospital both located in Yaounde.

CMS has been the main place, it is situated in a lively neighborhood, near of shops, bars and a food market. It is a three story building, on the second floor there are 2 operating rooms, a ward of hospitalization with 8 beds and 3 small single-rooms, beside that 3 small room used as stores. Operating room 1 has a operating table, a fair good surgical lamp, a ventilator (out of order), but allow to give O2, air and the sevoflurane that we had brought . Operating room 2 was smaller, the operating table could not be moved up and down and the surgeon had to work sat, light of the surgical lamp was weak and turned off unexpectedly, then we operated using a headlamp, there is a functional ventilator and an independent  source of oxygen. The oxygen was supplied from a big gas bottle that there had to be changed when it became empty, those moments always were stressful. They lent us a clinic in first floor for made the triage. the hospital have a lab and a state of art ultrasound.

The first 7 days, a team worked at H. Marie Christine, that is a pediatric  hospital lead by Professor  Moifeau. The chirurgical zone consists of outpatient clinics, a hospitalization ward for patients after surgery and 2 operating rooms  both with operating table. There are a zone of sterilization of instruments, a store and a place for hand washing. Last 4 days all 3 teams worked in the CMS.

Neither CMS nor H. Marie Christine have air conditioner, but the children and their parents seemed to be used to hot weather.

2-The team consisted of 10 volunteers members from Spain:

Three  Surgeons: José Miguel Moran (leader), Maria Dolores Delgado, Alejandro Unda

Three Anaesthetists:  Pilar Murga, Carlos Manrique, Javier Mora

Thre Nurses: Silvia Montalban, Silve Barrena, Enrique Cardenas

One pediatrician Emilia M Tallo

Additionally some local people worked with us. First Dr William Ngatchou as coordinator and director of CMS  helped us with organization tasks. Dr Moifeau pediatric surgeon that collaborated with team of H. Marie Christine. Three  Physicians of CMS , Sandra Leslie, Samuel Ndjoh,  Arllet Kouam made most of circumcisions and sometimes they were assistant surgeon, beside that Arllet Kouam facilitated communication with the parents.

Nurses: Ngo Gouet Mispa in hospitalitation ward and Jack as anesthetic technician

3.Equipment: We carry 20 bags of around 20 kg each. We carried 2 electric scalpels, one autoclave, surgical instruments, consumable materials (gauzes, surgical sheets, surgical gowns, many kind of sutures …), anesthetic drugs (Sevofloran, Fentanyl, Midazolam, Propofol and kits for spinal anesthesia), tracheal tubes, laryngeal masks,   analgesics,corticoids and antibiotics. Besides that, some toys and notebooks for the children.

4.Lodging: we lived in Lion Club Ceper a kind of Hotel-Apartment belonging to André Onana. Each apartment was shared by 2 or 3 people. The apartments are spacious, they have, living room,  kitchen and bathroom  most of them with hot water. Breakfast and dinner were serviced in the dining room or in the terrace. Our stay in Cameroon have been comfortable and nice.

5.Dayly Life: Every morning we were picked up at 7 am from Lyon Club Ceper to the Hospital were we started to operate, 2 teams in CMS and 1 team in Marie Christine Hospital. In the morning one of the surgeon (Alejandro or José Miguel)  together with Emilia, the pediatrician, checked the patients and made the triage a day before surgery.  A few patients was rejected because a  lack of surgical indication or because a too complex procedure was needed. Some patients underwent an infection that precluded surgery at that moment.

About 2 pm we usually took a break for lunch, always we had meals, fruit, juice and bottles of water, down stair in the lobby. Around thirty minutes later we returned to the operating rooms and we operated until 7 – 7:30. After surgery the children stayed 4 to 6 hours in the hospital. As soon as they were well enough, Emilia discharged them home, after giving them a brief medical report and a few doses of pain reliever. Only a small number of patients stayed overnight.

After finish, we were brought back to Lion Club Ceper, where we relaxed on the terrace having dinner and a beer.  Some nights, William took us to a restaurant, thus we have could know different Cameroonian foods.

We had a short vacation, on Saturday 22 we went to Kribi, a village by the sea that have a beautiful beach, good fish and shellfish to eat and it is near of  “La chute de le Lobe”  a beautiful waterfall. On Sunday morning we came back to Yaounde arriving to hospital about 2 pm. In the afternoon we made some operations.

 

CONCLUSION

Strength:

A good place to recruit patients.

The hospitals have acceptable conditions

There are local physicians and nurses willing to collaborate

The lodging is quite comfortable

What to improve:

Patients selection, an agreement previous to the campaign could avoid useless displacement

To improve follow up after the volunteers laeve the country

To improve the resources of the operating theaters

 

BUDGET

Flight tickets (paid by the volunteers): 7986,88 euros

Visa 120 euros each one

PCR 70 euros each one

Accommodation and meals were paid by Andre Onana Foundation

Medical equipment  donated by Quiron Salud 3820 euros

Other medical equipment  came from other campaign of “Cirujanos en Acción” and from hospitals where the volunteers are working.

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