Abdulahi and Me

The core of the surgical team is the anesthesia provider and the surgeon.  We also have two OT nurses, and one somewhat in training.  Abdulahi is the anesthetist.  He is from Kenya, the northern province, and is of Somali origins.  He has a very positive attitude.  Despite the fact that our anesthesia machine does not work properly, it does not slow us down.  He hand ventilates all of the patients.  We do patients from newborns to adults, and he never hesitates.  When we are not in the OT, we help out on the wards.  Today we used a variety of salvaged materials to rebuild a suction machine to be used in the maternity ward.  It is amazing to me all of the combined ingenuity that is used in a project like this.  There is no Home Depot or Menards to scour.  Everything that is used has either been carried in or is adjusted and made to work.  Yesterday, we tried to rebuild some fans to be used for cooling the tents.  The wards are full of people with severe malaria and malnutrition, and we have had to place mattresses on the floor to have a place for everyone.  Sometimes there are enough sheets for the beds, and sometimes not.