We also reported about a talk given by Dr Michelle Hamer, a local anaesthetist who regularly volunteers out there. Here, Michelle gives a quick update on her work.
“I have now been at Chaaria for over two weeks and I find it as busy as usual – the work load is intense! I work in the operating theatre 12 hours a day – some cases are easy but there are also many that are challenging and desperate. Conditions are often not optimal – for instance, we have to have two operating theatres in the same theatre – something new to me!
Brother Beppe is overworked but maintains his extraordinary level of service. The other volunteers are all delightful young people and we get on very well; the (late) dinner is usually a laugh!
Thank you [Rotary Club of Canterbury] for the blood pressure monitors bought with funds allocated via your International Committee money plus additional donations – these have arrived safely.
We are always grateful for support and there always items that can help our work. For instance, temperatures here are often above 28 degrees in the operating theatre, and working wearing cotton gowns over a very heavy plastic apron is pretty much unbearable – particularly since the air conditioning never works! It would be really useful for the theatre staff to have some waterproof operating gowns.”
