Nigeria leads the way
The Nigerian CMDA held its first Developing Health Course in Abuja in September. Josiah Gana of the NCMDA attended the DHC at Oak Hill in 2003 specifically because God had laid it on his heart to hold a similar course in Nigeria, open to healthcare professionals working in West Africa. Eighteen months of joint CMF/NCMDA planning and a lot of hard work on his part, came to fruition when 17 participants from four African countries, including Senegal, Liberia and Sudan attended the seven day course held in Abuja. The interna-tional flavour was enhanced by four American missionary healthcare workers, two of whom had newly arrived in the country and found the input a very good starting point for their work.
The teaching was mainly provided by NCMDA Consultants but, at their request, CMF UK funded the attendance of Colin Binks, a missionary member surgeon from India and Peter Armon to input in surgery, APLS and obstetrics. PRIME funded the attendance of Dr Sabu Thomas, a paediatric surgeon and medical superin-tendent of Herbertpur, an Emmanuel Hospital Association hospital in North India. A visiting American professor of paediatrics with extensive Nigerian experience was a last minute bonus to the teaching team.
The surgeons won the prize for creativity and improvisation, using a freshly slaughtered sheep to demonstrate various techniques in their workshops; gut bought from the local market to demonstrate bowel anastomosis and pigs trotters to demonstrate tendon suturing. The sheep went on to provide meat for several meals!
The course was very well organised and provided an excellent mix of academic and spiritual input together with very practical workshops. Strong relational links were established between NCMDA, EHA and our sister organisation, EMFI which should bear much fruit in the future. The Indian perspective on rural surgery proved to be so entirely relevant to the Nigerian situation. Without exception, the participants greatly appreciated both the medical and spiritual input of the course and found it extremely helpful.
In the week prior to the conference, Peter and Colin were able to visit a number of mission and University Hospital in Jos, Ibadan and Ogbomosho, teaching, encouraging and promoting the work of the NCMDA.
Farewell to the Bewes at the UK
Course Peter and Hilary Bewes have acted as hosts at the Oak Hill Developing Health Course over the last 7 years. I know that there are many missionary members who would like to thank them for the love, care and concern that they graciously expressed in so many ways and their willingness to always go the extra mile in seeking to ensure the comfort and warmth of welcome felt by all who attended the course. It is hoped that we will still be able to call on Peter to contribute to the teaching in coming years. John and Heather Knowles worked alongside Peter and Hilary in both the planning and execution of this year’s course and will take over for next year’s course on 23 July - 4 August. They come with a long experience in medical mission in Malawi and they still regularly visit.
More news on NHS Links - funding available
Susanna Edjang, Links Project co-ordinator for THET writes to say that applications are being accepted for grants to help support the initial stages of estab-lishing links between NHS Trusts and less developed countries. To read the criteria for the appli-cation and to download the application form, visit the THET website at susana@thet.org or visit their website: www.thet.org.
Clinical Attachments
We are receiving an increasing number of enquires about such posts from doctors coming to this country, both Christian and otherwise. If you are willing and able to offer such posts, please let us know.
Travelling Abroad with a ministry of teaching or encouragement?
If you are travelling abroad for whatever reason – attending conferences, seminars, teaching or College activities – and think you will have some spare time that you could use to visit, teach or simply encourage members or nationals working in that country, please let us know at the HealthServe desk. It may well be that we can give you contacts who might appreciate a visit and your input.
