Today, Saturday, has been interesting. Originally we were not going to work but attain because of electricity problems we did not complete yesterday and had to carry one case over. Yesterday I had to take the boy with the bowel obstruction back for a second look when we completed the first operation in the dark there were some things I was unable to verify. Had I waited for any missed problems to show themselves his nutritional status would have deteriorated to the point where it would have been impossible to correct anything. So I decided to take another look and fortunately found everything in order and today he continues to do rather well despite the second operation and the scant resources to manage him.
We arrived at the hospital after breakfast intending to start our case which was an 80 year old man with a huge combination hernia and hydrocele. We found one of the staff surgeons about to begin a procedure to correct abdominal adhesions from a past appendectomy that were causing pain. This was a private case on a woman who appeared well-to-do judging by the appearance of family members who were waiting around. I volunteered to scrub in. The case was exactly as expected. Surgeons reading this will understand completely. For everyone else I will say only that in the States we used to call these procedures B--- S--- laparotomies.
We then got my guy on the table and wouldn’t you know it, just after we started the lights went out. Now last night, after Piet (That is the way he spells his name) heard my horror story from the other day he went out to his truck and presented me with a small halogen headlamp that he sometimes uses when he works at night. "You need this more than I do" he said while I took it from hom gratefully. Sure enough I did nearly the whole case with it today and the procedure went flawlessly. Working with the junior surgeon (the adhesions guy) on my case too I managed to show him a better way to close skin and also new bandaging techniques. He seemed happy with it and everyone left the OR in good humor.
Unless there is an emergency that will do it for this week. Tomorrow, Sunday, I plan to take my camera around and catch pictures of children in their Sunday best. OH, and also I met a woman from a town about an hour from here who has come from Germany to start an orphanage. She had come into the internet café. Catherine and I are planning to visit her next weekend for an interview and a photo session. We’ll probably get out to Lake Tanganyika while we’re at it. Also, two medical students from Sweden are scheduled to show up some time next week. So the routine is going to change considerably
MJPC blames the Congolese Government for the Deteriorating Situation in East Congo(DRC)
"There is no excuse for missing to pay salaries to soldiers in lawless eastern Congo for six months"
Following the deteriorating situation in east Congo, the MJPC called today for the Congolese Government to urgently pay the salaries to thousands of soldiers who have not been paid for over six months in eastern Congo, take swift action to enforce the International Criminal Court's (ICC) warrant against Bosco Ntaganda and to hold accountable perpetrators of sexual violence against women for their acts.
"Failing to hold accountable individuals who commit war crimes and crimes against humunity continues to be the leading cause of widespread and systematic sexual violence acts against girls and women in the easten Congo" said Makuba Sekombo, Community Affairs Director of the Mobilization for Justice and Peace in the DR Congo (MJPC).
Mr. Sekombo again criticized the government of Congo for not only the continuing failure to protect women and young girls from sexual violence, but also for "encouraging conditions that create opportunities for sexual violence to occur". "There is no excuse for missing to pay salaries to soldiers in the lawless eastern Congo for six months" said Sekombo. The MJPC has also renewed its call for the Congolese government to take urgent needed action to end human rights abuses in east Congo, hold perpetrators accountable and ensure reparation for the victims of sexual violence.
The MJPC has been urging the Congolese government to compensate the victims of sexual violence in order to also help combat impunity in eastern part of Congo where sexual violence against women and children has been widely used as weapon of war for more than decade. The MJPC online petition calling for help to put pressure on Congolese Government to compensate victims of sexual siolence in Eastern DRC can be signed at http://www.gopetition.com.au/online/26180.html
About MJPC
MJPC works to add a voice in advocating for justice and peace in the DRC particulary in the east of DRC where thousands innocent civilian including children and women continue to suffer massive human rights violations while armed groups responsible for these crimes go unpunished
For more information about the MJPC and its activities, visit http://www.mjpcongo.org. or call Makuba Sekombo @ 1-408-8063-644 or e-mail: info@mjpcongo.org. The online petition calling on the Congolese Government to put urgently in place a comprehensive program of compensation for the victims of sexual violence in eastern Congo can be signed at http://www.gopetition.com.au/online/26180.html
Posted by: Paul T | July 01, 2009 at 04:08 PM