This is the last day of surgeries. The carnival festival ends this day and the hospital will be back to full staff tomorrow. 10 surgeries were scheduled for Day 5 and the hope was that all 10 would be completed.
Unfortunately, although the TNMS staff were working towards that goal, one patient did not show and the last patient of the day had to be cancelled as the Santa Ines sterilizer failed in the processing room. It was very difficult to tell the final scheduled patient, a very lovely 80 year old, that she could not be helped today. Contact was made by our team to another orthopedic charity mission group scheduled to arrive in 6 weeks of her situation in order that she may then be helped. 8 surgeries completed today which means another 8 people (and their families) were helped.
Despite the last surgery being dropped from the schedule a total of 42 surgeries were completed during the 2019 mission – 4 more than the 2018 mission and a record number for TNMS. While the number is less important than the quality of care it does speak to the commitment of the team, to the continued focus on efficiency of delivery and to the unending need for this mission. Of the 48 surgical candidates selected on clinic day, there were 6 cancellations – 1 due to employment concerns, 1 required surgical equipment the team did not have, 2 for illness, 1 did not show, and finally, the last due to sterilization equipment failure.
The 2019 mission is not finished upon completion of surgeries. The ward nurses and physio therapy group will continue to work through the next two days to ensure all patients are mobile and healthy enough for discharge. Others will pack, clean up and send equipment off to storage and transport to Quito for the long trip back to Calgary.
Another contingent of the team will spend the next three days in meetings to continue support for the local Humanitarian Hospital cervical dysplaysia and hip dysplasia screening projects that have been initiated within the last year.
As well, a CPR training session is scheduled for Thursday.
