Diaspora medical team on surgical outreach Program in Liberia

A team comprising of West African physicians and nurses in the Diaspora have arrived in Liberia on an intensive five-day surgical outreach mission. According to the Secretary General of the West Africa College of Surgeons-Liberia’s (WACS-Liberia), Dr. Lawrence Sherman, the 20 top West African Physicians and Nurses are also members of the delegation of the upcoming 52nd Annual Scientific Conference of the West Africa College of Surgeons (WACS).

He said the team has been conducting major surgical operations at the John F. Kennedy (JFK) Medical Center in Sinkor, Monrovia and the Firestone Health Center in Duside, Margibi County before the conference kicks off next week.

He named some of the major operations as Urological, Ear and Throat (ENT), Pediatric, Gynecological, Anastisiological operations.

The surgical outreach mission, Dr. Sherman said, began on Monday, February 20, 2012 and would come to an end tomorrow, Friday, February 24, 2012.

Among other things, Dr. Sherman added: “Usually, what we do as doctors is that, before the start of every annual conference of this organization, West African Doctors from the Diaspora and their colleagues come together in the country that is supposed to host the conference and carry on an outreach campaign. This is the exercise currently ongoing.”

Also speaking to reporters at the JFK, the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) of the hospital, Dr. Billy Johnson, described the operations of the team as very rewarding to the people of Liberia since their arrival in the country.

He said some of the major operations that are being performed by the West African specialized physicians and nurses on a free of charge basis could cost an individual up to US$20,000, noting that the ordinary Liberian citizens cannot afford such huge money.

He disclosed that the group will perform about 200 major operations at both JFK and the Firestone Health Center within the five-day period, an initiative, she further described as good news for the people of Liberia.

For his part, the head of the outreach mission’s delegation, Dr. Sam Osaghae, said the initiative is a “life saving” operation.

Dr. Osaghae assured that the team will do all it can to make sure that many lives are saved within the five-day period.

Said Dr. Osaghae: “While we are here, we will do our best to save as many lives as we can because this is a life saving operation that we are on here.”

He then lauded the host- Liberia for being so receptive to the delegation since its arrival in the country.

At the same, one of the direct beneficiaries of the outreach campaign has lauded WACS for such an important initiative.

According to Rev. James C. Jeploh, who resides in the Township of West Point, he has not been able to urinate directly since 2009.

Rev. Jeploh, 64, a former military officer described the coming of the WACS’ delegation as timely, adding that it is the work of God.

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Posted by AfricaSTI on February 28, 2012. Filed under Headlines, Health. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry