1. ENT Clinic case-mix in Juba
Usama F. Kamel, FEBE-ORL, MD, PGCPCE, MBBCh
ENT Registrar, Milton Keynes University Hospital, Milton Keynes, England
Background
South Sudan
Became independent 4 years ago
Has population of 9.8m
The country is gripped by tribal war
Poverty and humanitarian crisis prevail
Juba has one teaching hospital for 1ry & 2ry care for the whole country
What
South Sudan’s healthcare system heavily depends on aid. St Paul’s medical mission sent a team to Juba for a week. The team had one ENT surgeon, an orthopaedic surgeon, a general surgeon, two pharmacists, two cardiologists and an anaesthetist.
ENT
The ENT surgeon communicated with South Sudan’s healthcare service and the hospital to establish the logistics of the ENT mission to Juba. There were no ENT instruments for clinics or theatre. There is one South Sudanese ENT specialist for the whole capital.
The ENT surgeon provided donated equipment and established a new daily clinic and theatre list, did two clinics and one theatre session each day, then on call. That was the schedule for the whole week.
Medical training was also part of the mission. Junior South Sudanese doctors received training in orthopaedics, general surgery and ENT.
Results
What did I learn?
I learnt to work with the basic minimum and whatever was available, with low or no resources, for example, there was no tap water supply for two days in theatre. Power cuts in hospital was not unusual.
What did I observe?
Patients are really appreciating the service. South Sudanese doctors were grateful as well.
Conclusion
It was an honour to be part of a medical mission team to help build a better healthcare in Juba
I would like to go again.
129 cases in outpatients
Operations (n=15)
Tonsillectomy
Reduction inferior turbinate
FB ear
Neck abscess
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Declaration: St Paul’s medical missions supported my hotel accommodation