06-MAR-A-1
THE MEDICAL
MISSION TO
RWANDA
- Index to the 06-MAR-A-series on the Rwanda Medical Mission
- Pre-trip Prep and Packing Party leading toward team takeoff.
- An overture regarding a potential medical mission to Armenia
from a GWUMC student.
- The arrangements made for our royal reception in Rwanda
.
- Launch the “
Mission
to Rwanda-06” from Derwood to Dulles, gathering the gang and extensive baggage
checked through to
Kigali and takeoff: through
long layovers in
Amsterdam and
Nairobi
for
Kigali,
Rwanda
—with a team of very buzzed
participants and excited Rwandan reception.
- Exchange
with Michael Marquardt and Millie Mateu regarding the phenomenology of dissertation.
- Preparation for exchange of plaques and medals
for reception with the Rwandan president and dignitaries.
- The
launch of the Rwandan medical mission in
Kigali
Rwanda
,
complete with the first full day of
clinic operations in the Methodist school and new clinic complex, and the
team’s patient presentations in a full nocturnal rain storm of the opening of rainy season
- Second
full and exhausting day in Clinic with all the medical MAP packs still hostaged
in the Kigali Customs at the airport, now by Rwandan Bureau of Standards,
despite clinic visits and tours by the Minister of Health of Rwanda and the
Commandant of the Rwandan Army, as I give full lecture to the indigenous team
along with our own group with the simultaneous translation offered in French by
Virginia, and another full didactic evening of case presentations.
- Rainy day face-saving “resolution” of the
pharmaceutical impasse with a visit by the Ministry of Licensing and the
re-writing of all prescriptions for the Ministry Health Center payment and
back-filling by our continuing relationship; then a return to Hotel Kastel, and
a shopping trip for tailoring of a Rwandan traditional dress, and a visit with
the GM of the Hotel des Milles Colinnes, before our wrap-up of Kigali clinic
cases in preparation for morning departure for part of group with videographers
to Mayange and the MVP and continuing on to Gisenyi for the next four days
clinic set up there.
- The
packing up and checking out and long drive to Gisenyi through Ruhengere to Lake
Kivu; we stop to see our Clinic and
check in to the Hotel Umbewe, lunch and then I do the Medical Diplomatique
clearance of our work at the clinic: finally released to work with our limited
drug stock, we give out a hundred scripts and have the videography team photo
shoot of our operations before a dinner meeting and testimonial from the group
on frustrations and joys.
- A very long full day, with our smaller team
driving the long return to Kigali, an Airport stop for another run at the MAP
pack impasse, again allegedly cleared, and on to Mayange: Tour the Millennium
Village Project, and see water catchment project in famine starvation period as
I do video interview at Health Center, giddy return in rainstorm down “Good
Road” to Kigali, and hassle another three hour airport wait in incomplete
retrieval of two-thirds of MAP packs returning in the dark to Gisenyi after
midnight.
- Sunday morning division of church-goers and a
tour of a Rehab Center for genocide massacre amputees, and road-side “entropy
industry” rock-smashers, and a visit to Lake Kivu and the Hot Springs at fishing
village before combined lunch and re-start of clinics, now equipped with our
partial MAP pack stocks of medicines: a mobbed half-day clinic with over a
hundred colorful and serious patients and a full session after dinner, as Virginia
performs, records and writes songs in Kinyarwanda.
- The
full day of a Grand Slam Clinic and an overflow of patients with a full report
from each participant about the experiences thus far in the intense medical
care, social context and even more intensive medical education experience of
our Rwandan medical mission at its apex in Gisenyi.
- Packing out from Gisenyi and return via a Rwandan Music Center and then to
Ruhengere to meet with Julie, to discuss future planned trip to visit the
Gorillas in the Virunga National Park: return to Kigali, for futile attempts,
again to pick up the impounded lost MAP packs and the past-due Rwandan gown to
be ready “always tomorrow” and a closure of the evening with the group over
Primus beers.
- The very
formal day of the Inaugural of the Bishop Forrest Steeth School and Clinics,
with Ministry officials and
Commandant of the Rwandan Army as I sit Center Stage for performances by School
Children and make a speech on behalf of the donor partners and present plaques
to officials, and also introduce Virginia to sing for the people and with the
children; we adjourn to a wild drumbeat to eat catered lunch in a tropical
rainy season downpour; I give Rwandan National TV interview, and then return to
the perpetual process of futile attempts to reclaim lost MAP medical packs and
withdraw still further funds for ancillary charges; the group gathers with
Virginia wearing the finally prepared Rwandan gown for our farewell dinner,
packing out for departure after morning clinic.
- A
long day begins with a three nation bounce as part of a three continent return
trip: pack out and pay up at
Hotel Kastel in
Kigali, then ride to final
clinic, departing for
Kigali
Airport check in and a surprise visit to
Bujumbura,
Burundi
,
before flying on through
Nairobi transit toward
an
Amsterdam
arrival by next morning.
- Continuous travel
from “Out of Africa” in two days from Kigali, Bujumbura, Nairobi, Amsterdam, Detroit, Toledo to
the Medical University of Ohio and Hilton
for the start of the weekend of activities around the MMHOF.
- The wonderful mix
of students and guests in the MMHOF celebration and my participation in the
symposium and in the evening induction ceremonies, introducing Rick Hodes and
Jill Seaman for induction as this year’s awardees.
- A thank you note
from Julie Ghrist, who had hosted us at a lunch in Ruhengere, for the bag of
gifts left with
Pierre in
Kigali for distribution to the Rwandans.
Return to Journal Index