Editor’s Note: This story was written before the devastating April 25 earthquake impacted Nepal. Learn more about what the Seventh-day Adventist Church is doing for the people of Nepal. Learn how you can help.
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A medical mission team from Centura Health recently returned from a two-week sojourn to Nepal. “Their mission was to provide free-of-charge surgery for women who suffer from pelvic organ prolapse,” said Greg Hodgson, Centura’s Global Health Initiative director.
Related: Earthquake Relief Continues in Nepal
Working in partnership with Adventist Scheer Memorial Hospital, located east of the Kathmandu valley, immediately after arrival the team provided medical services to 46 Nepali women. “These women came to the hospital with the hope that they would receive surgical treatment for their prolapse condition. After they were screened, 29 were selected for surgical intervention,” Hodgson reported. He added that the patients came from 34 villages, most within the Kavre district and arrived with a family member or friend to be a caretaker and companion.
The Colorado and Nepali teams worked hand-in-hand during the project. Dr. Vidya and her Nepali team worked in one room while Dr. Amanda Meyer with a combination of Nepali and US team members worked in the other.
Six members of the Colorado team included Dr. Amanda Meyer, OB-GYN and surgeon; Lee Graham, CRNA for anesthesia; Sherman Powers and Lynda Kithil, operating room nurses; Kathy McCracken, recovery room nurse; and Greg Hodgson.
Included in the project team was also a group of student nurses from the Scheer Memorial Hospital School of Nursing. “By the end of the trip we all had bonded as family,” Hodgson said.
Hodgson summarized the mission as a great opportunity to provide support for Nepali women. “Learning is a two-way street, and information and experiences were exchanged as on previous trips,” he added. “This was an extraordinary cultural experience for team members.”
This article was also published in the May 2015 print edition of OUTLOOK. It was written by Greg Hodgson, Centura’s Global Health Initiative director.
