After a long summer hiatus, IOWD returned to Kigali in late September. We were welcomed by a new Director of Kibagabaga Hospital, Dr. Osee Sebatunzi and his Clinical Director, Dr. Alphonse Umugire.
Joining us on this mission were our returning doctors, Drs. Joan Blomquist, Sharon Knight, David Glazier, Abner Korn, Bethan Powell, Aditya Dash, Jim Greenberg, Scott Eder, and Michael Yaker. Returning Nurse was Melanie Haller and returning Anesthesia Nurses were Janet Dean and Sheila Murphy.
New to the mission were Drs. George Klauber, Lisa Bazzett, Christian Seefelder, Grace Chen, Renata Scott, Victor Long, and CRNA’s Kara Southard and Jennifer Phelan, and medical student Lena Vayenberg.
Dr. Anita Asiimwe, Minister of State for the Ministry of Health presented Kibagabaga Hospital with a new anesthesia machine. We were able to borrow another anesthesia machine from a rural district hospital, allowing us to do many abdominal surgeries. With excellent equipment, tremendous organization and cooperation, our surgical teams consisting of IOWD and Rwandan doctors and nurses succeeded in repairing every patient who was operated on!