Busy

I came to Teme Hospital , Port Harcourt on Wed (18th) morning and started working after a short briefing and hospital tour. Teme Hospital was originally a small private hospital. MSF converted it into a trauma center after violence in a general election 5 years ago. It has around one hundred beds, with two operating theatres. It is situated in an urban area. It only treats patients with trauma, likely road traffic, industrial and domestic accidents, assault cases, chop wounds and gun shot wounds. It is equipped with a small lab and blood bank. It stores around 30 units of blood packs. Blood donation here is voluntary. They would have blood appeal every now and then in the local universities. They are going to have one next week. HIV in Port Hartcousrt is around 5 %. We would check all the blood borne diseases in the donated blood before use, like HIV, hepatitis B and C, syphilis. We have a small X-ray room and a C-arm machine in theatre. It is very busy, more than 300 surgical procedures per month. We had 14 to 15 procedures in last two days. Yesterday we had 3 intra-medullary nails for fracture femurs, 2 platings, two tendons repair with one nearly almost complete amputation of right wrist by chop wound in one day. In both days, we finished at 9 and 8pm. As a general surgeon, I would mainly treat those with abdominal and chest injuries, gun shot wounds, wound debridement and skin grafts. I would assist the other two orthopaedic surgeons in other procedures. It would be a good chance for me to learn more about orthopaedic and external fixations management. The surgical team is assisted by a team of local doctors. They will see the emergency and out patient clinics and look after the patients in the wards. There are local orthopaedic, ophthalmology and gynaecology experts we can refer patients to. There was not much chance for rest in last two days. I would expect it would remain the same in the coming month. In fact, it will be a local election on Saturday. We expect there is rising of violence and more patients. It’s no time for me jogging either. I start doing 10 minutes exercise early in morning and at night. ( I did my first laparotomy in Teme Hospital for a man with gun shot wound. )