It is over 5 months since we saw our last patients. Problems with Ebola in West Africa and then engineering difficulties with our ship propellers caused a prolonged long delay and multiple changes in our schedule. But now the waiting is over. At long last, the Operating Rooms are cleaned and ready. Nurses who had been re-deployed to serve in the dining room and galley have swapped their red ‘kitchen’ uniforms and now wear their more familiar blue, pyjama-style hospital ‘scrubs’. Everything is ready – surgery starts tomorrow.
Three little children are tucked up in our hospital beds. Our waiting is over, and tomorrow theirs will be too. The wait for surgery they never thought they would have. Some are too young to understand. They are simply smiling, enjoying the attention of the nurses, playing Jenga, or blowing bubbles. But their parents know what the future holds. Their eyes hold the wait of expectation. Anticipation of hope, waiting to be realised. Is this really true? They almost dare not believe it. Their child with crooked legs, or twisted feet is about to be given the chance of living a normal life. A free surgery, that will free them from growing up crippled. A future that looks different simply because they will look different.
How did we find these patients?
We have had a week of screening: approx 4200 people showed up. 2588 were seen by a rapid assessment ‘pre-screening’ team (I did that one day); 697 had a history and more detailed examination; and 369 were give appointments for a pre-operative surgical appointment and 204 placed on a waiting list
Our hospital is ready - we are so happy
