Wednesday February 1st, Kegue Stadium Lome, Togo West Africa.......the sun breaks over the horizon as thousands queue, some who have been there all night, desperate to seek medical intervention from the big white ship docked in their harbour. The word has spread like wildfire through radio jingles and word of mouth. Mercy Ships, Mercy Ships!
The huge stadium is set up the day before by dozens of crew buzzing like flies in order to make preparations for the long day ahead. Stations are set up, logistics languished over and security scrutinized. Before the sun rose the next day hundreds of crew left their beds by 4:00a.m and headed to the stadium to offer whatever help they could......nurses, doctors, surgeons, drivers, security, prayer warriors, children's ministry team, food and water distributors, PR and communications personnel, lab techs, pharmacists, radiographers, data entry and human resource crew and patient escorts all with a single mission; to secure as many surgeries for as many people for the duration of our field service in Togo, while at the same time showing love, respect, compassion and lending dignity and human touch.
An estimated 3,500 people queued as the scorching sun beat upon their backs, the pre-pre-screeners doing their best to identify conditions that we are unable to treat. Once inside the stadium, potential patients are seen by further medical screeners to assess their suitability for surgery. If the person is considered for surgery they are escorted to have their contact details recorded at the registration area. They then proceed to have their medical history taken.
Once the patient's history is complete they are escorted to their specific area of need such as plastics, maxillo facial, general and VVF (vaginal fistula) surgeries. A surgeon is able to speak with them and greater determine the best course of treatment and options. Sometimes lab samples and biopsies are taken. They are rushed back to the ship for quick examination.
Sadly there are many we cannot help. Being a speciality surgical hospital means many are turned away before they even make it through the stadium gates such as those with some types of cancer, diabetes and heart disease. Even entry into the stadium does not guarantee a surgery. Some are given the devastating news that we cannot help them and all we can offer is prayer. Sometimes the need is beyond our resources and skill set, sometimes the surgery schedules are full and others have conditions that are far too extreme for us to address.
It is a complicated business in a complicated land where desperation is tangible, health care is both expensive and limited and animism and corruption are rife. Still we do our best to buck the system and offer surgeries (approx 1,600 this field service) to those in the most need without cost, offering restoration of body, mind and spirit in the name of Jesus.
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