Humanitarian Notice Board

Jerry Templer, MD: University of Zambia Medical School

Posted June 09, 2008

I am a professor in the department of Otolaryngology--Head and Neck Surgery, the University of Missouri, planning to retire June 30, 2008. In April, on a visit the University of Zambia School of Medicine, Lusaka l was offered an (unsalaried) job to set up an ENT residency program. I plan to begin work with the Division of Otolaryngology, October or November 2008. The goal is to establish a postgraduate training program in Otolaryngology to train specialists to work in communities. The program will train some exceptional candidates as academic otolaryngologists to train subsequent generations of specialists. Zambia has a severe shortage of such specialists and has an enormous amount of ENT disease.

The University of Zambia ENT division lacks adequate equipment to train these specialists. Its equipment is antiquated and almost unusable. The division needs about everything:

1.  Any office equipment like nasal specula, ear loops, ear specula, bayonet forceps, suture removal packs, alligator forceps, etc.

2.  Cabinets with compressors and suction, examination chairs, stools, and a table. Electrically operated equipment used 220 volts, so equipment meant for Europe is preferred. However, transformers are available.

3.  Lights sources and headlights, flexible fiber optic laryngoscopes, nasal telescopes, etc are among needed articles.

4.  Surgical sets for tympanomastoidectomy, laryngoscope, bronchoscope, esophagoscopy, nasal septoplasty, sinus surgery—open and endoscopic, soft tissue sets for head and neck cancer cases.

5.  Towers for endoscopy with light sources, digital cameras, monitors, video recorders are needed also.

6.  An operating microscope for the OR and one for the clinic are needed.

I have set up a Foundation, so it can give a tax exemption to donors, who can send equipment to me in Columbia, MO. I will get a shipping container to send equipment and books. For more information, please email humanitarian@entnet.org.

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Doc to Dock--Ways to Donate Medical Supplies
Posted: Wednesday, March 19, 2008

Every day in the United States, thousands of tons of unused medical supplies are either incinerated or sent to landfills. At the same time in developing nations, thousands of patients are turned away from hospitals and medical centers due to a lack of these supplies. Doc to Dock’s mission is to correct this imbalance. Doc to Dock collects medical supplies ranging from re-usable, capital equipment, such as wheelchairs, beds, and EKG machines, to unused, unexpired sterile supplies such as syringes, surgical gloves and suture material. (Unfortunately, Doc to Dock does not collect or ship medications.) Please visit our website for all contact information, including where to send supplies: www.doctodock.org or email info@doctodock.org

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Dr. Parsons--Updated Call for 2008 Volunteers
Posted: Monday, February 25, 2008

We cannot get visas from either country to go to Cuba in March. We plan on going again 15-22 November 08. We are disappointed that the trip was delayed, but encouraged that we have even better contacts to get visas for November. For more information, please contact: David S Parsons MD FAAP FACS Clinical Professor Charlotte Eye Ear Nose and Throat 6035 Fairview Rd Charlotte, NC 28210-3256 Email: parsonsdav@aol.com Web: www.parsonsministries.org

Reply posted: Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Hi Dave,
Been retired from ENT practice for 5 years, but stay somewhat current by lecturing. I would like to be involved in your mission projects at any level short of doing surgery: from gopher to clinic doc ... ie, anywhere needed. My wife speaks Spanish superbly and has participated in many humanitarian projects. If you cannot use us in Israel we'll consider any Central or South America trip in 2009.
Look forward to hearing from you. 
Steve Muller, MD vns@fone.net 830-596-1985 Nov-May: 650 Pecan Creek Dr., Horseshoe Bay, TX 78657-7022 719-379-4856 Jun-Oct: HC 68 Box 59, Fort Garland, CO 81133

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Dr. Woodson-Appeal to Ship Equipment to Tanzania
Posted: Wednesday, February 27, 2008

My husband and I will be returning to Africa next month. In addition to seeing patients, we will help teach a three-day post-graduate course for primary care physicians on management of ENT emergencies, and also bringing some endoscopy equipment for removing foreign bodies. There are a number of large items of hospital equipment that are needed, such as exam chairs, operating microscopes, etc. and I have a source to get these. It is a unique agency that was recently established here in Springfield, IL.

The founder is a man who has done quite a bit of work in the third world, and became weary of receiving donations of junk! See website www.mission-outreach.org Millions of dollars worth of medical equipment is thrown away each year. This organization collects used equipment from various sources (hospitals industry, etc), quality checks it and does necessary repairs, and makes it available to missions around the world. The system provides just what the recipients need, not junk. Transporting to South America is easy because trucking companies, WalMart, etc, donate services. But getting large items to Africa requires a container, which costs about $20,000. A Church in town recently raised that money in six weeks and sent a container to a hospital in Kenya. I would like to raise money to send a container to Kilimanjaro Christian Medical College (KCMC.)

See their website at: http://www.kcmc.ac.tz/KCMC.htm Also, other people doing Mission Work in other areas might want to consider this mechanism for getting equipment to developing countries.

Gayle E Woodson, MD
SIU School of Medicine Department of Otolaryngology
PO Box 19662 Springfield, IL 62794-9662 Tel: (217) 545-3833 Email: gwoodson@siumed.edu

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Dr Wagner's Appeal for Ear Instruments
Posted: Thursday, February 21, 2008

Dr. Richard Wagner has asked us to post an appeal for all kinds of otology instruments and supplies for his Global ENT Outreach missions. These can include ear instruments, middle ear implants, and gel foam. If you have any supplies to spare, please contact:

Richard Wagner, MD
Global ENT Outreach
PO Box 339
Coupeville, WA 98239-0339
Tel: (360) 678-1383 Email: rwagner@geoutreach.org
www.geoutreach.org

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Vietnam Plastic Surgery July 21-24, 2008
Posted: Thursday, February 14, 2008

Dear Friends,

Let me know if you are interested in going to Vietnam July 21-24, 2008 to teach with lectures and surgery at the University of Medicine and Pharmacy (Saigon-HochiMinh) at a course, which is approved by the AAFPRS. I want to do all I can with your help to make this happen--I know that some will have many questions before you make a final decision and I can provide the answers by email or cell phone (901-336-4578) and will send a letter with all the info to the volunteers. So please let me know as soon as possible if you can help in the Face to Face course in Saigon and call me anytime day or night! Thanks you so much for your consideration in this endeavor.

Mac Hodges John M Hodges, MD
University Facial Plastic Surgery--Head and neck Surgery
1325 Eastmoreland #450
Memphis, Tn. 38104
Phone: 901-543-5499 office; home: 901-725-7335

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Appeal for ENT in Ecuador
Posted: May 30, 2008

My name is Jackeline Garcia I’m a mother of a child born deaf (diagnosed as profound deafness), I’m from Ecuador and I obtained your information from NIDCD (National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders) I would like for someone to help me apply for some hospital or foundation that might be able to help my son. I have taken him to many specialists here in Ecuador and all the tests that have been run have not explained the reason for his deafness. According to the tests he is a healthy child and doesn’t show signs of any damage to his ears. The doctors have recommended hearing aids and he is actually under observation for six months to see if he responds to speech therapy to take advantage of his limited hearing since he hears at 90db. If that doesn’t work they recommend for him to have a cochlear implant, what worries me is that the cochlear implant costs $25,000 just for the chip not including doctor’s fees. I have faith in God that my son will be able to hear without that implant, maybe with another surgery something not as invasive, simpler..That’s why I humbly ask that you can help me apply for some grant, hospital or foundation in the United States that can help me since I don’t have the resources to help my child. I’m just a woman who works as a secretary to support my two children one who is six years old (completely healthy) and Jack who is a year and three months old. Thank you ahead of time for any help you may be able to provide.

To recieve Ms. Garcia's contact information, please email humanaitan@entnet.org.

Estimados señores “American Academy of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery”: Mi nombre es Jackeline García B. soy madre de un niño sordo de nacimiento, “sordera severa”, soy ecuatoriana, obtuve información de Uds. de NIDCD (Instituto Nacional de la Sordera y otros Transtornos de la Comunicación) y me gustaría me orienten o ayuden para aplicar en algún hospital o Fundación o no sé de que manera para hacer tratar a mi hijo, un bebe de 1 año 3 meses, que nació sordo y que en mi país, Ecuador, lo he llevado a médicos especialistas y les han hecho todos los exámenes posibles y los resultados son favorables, es decir, internamente tiene todo completo y sano, no presenta ningún daño en sus oídos y no se explican porque su sordera, me le han recomendado audífonos y actualmente está en observación por 6 meses para ver si responde con terapias de lenguaje y aprovechar su poca audición ya que escucha a los 90 deciveles y si no responde me recomiendan un implante coclear, lo que me preocupa porque tiene un costo de $25.000 sólo el “chip” más los gastos médicos, pero tengo fe en DIOS que mi hijo sí podrá escuchar, sin necesidad de dicho implante, talvez con otro tipo de cirugía, sencilla, mi hijo podrá escuchar, por ello solicito, muy comedidamente, ayuda ya que quisiera aplicar en algún Hospital y/o Fundación de su país que me preste ayuda, ya que no cuento con los recursos económicos suficientes, porque soy una mujer sencilla que trabaja, como secretaria, para vivir y mantener a mis hijos, tengo 2 niños, el mayor de 6 años, completamente normal, y mi pequeño Jack de 1 año 3 meses.. Muchas gracias por la ayudan que me puedan brindar..

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