Today was a very frustrating day for the group.   We arrived at Cure hospital bright and early ready to see patients and schedule them for operations, but our plans were halted.   We learned that we would not be able to work at Cure hospital, a non-government organization, until all volunteers obtained a Business Visa.   This was a perfect example of politics at work in this country.    It was very disappointing for me and the other volunteers because we came to see patients, and a giant road block was just put in our way.   I quickly stopped feeling sorry for myself when I looked at all the patients who had traveled to Cure Hospital in order to be evaluated by a physician. T  hey would now have to go back home and hope that tomorrow they would be able to see a doctor.   The day was not wasted though, we went over to the Makinissa School for the blind where we saw 50 children who suffer from severe hearing loss.   The facility was started in 1963, with only a few children. Many of these children were abandoned by their families because families believed the child being deaf was a curse. The goal of the school is to teach children and their families sign language, so that students can communicate at school and with their parents or siblings.   The teachers also make a significant effort to address any myths that families might have and educate them.    At the beginning of the day I felt frustrated with the obstacles we were presented with at Cure.   After spending time with these children I am able to appreciate the virtue of patience and smiling even when the world is trying to bring you down.

Today was the first day in Ethiopia for the Philadelphia chapter of Healing the Children.   The first group arrived Friday and the second group arrived early Sunday morning.   Our first stop was Black Lion Hospital, a government owned facility in Addis Ababa.  When we arrived many of the patients were waiting patiently to be seen by the doctors from America.   Most of the children had complaints of hearing loss, pain or discharge.

One young woman stood out because she had not been able to swallow for the past four months.   She was significantly cachectic and required further evaluation in order to determine what was going on.  This was my first reality of how slowly things worked in Addis Ababa. All the lab work this woman needed would take one day to complete, not the usual hour or so I am used to in the states. After the result from her lab work are reviewed a decision will be made about how to proceed. From today, I have learned the importance of being flexible when working in another country. It is important to be able to adapt to a new environment as soon as possible in order to be the most productive.

Medical Team / Staff

Glenn Isaacson, MD/Otolaryngologist
Farrel Buchinsky, MD /HPV Specialist
Winifred Kao-Seda, MD / ENT
Eizabeth Drum, MD/Anesthesiologist
Eileen Tyrala, MD/Pediatrician
Elca Swigart, PhD, Audiologist
Joann Eisenberg, CRNA
Venius Cooper, RN
Uchechi Azubuine, 4th year Temple Med. School
Desi Ferrell, Exec. Director HTC/Philly, administrator