February 2008

Medical Dental Mission to Ecuador - Operation “Esperanza” (Hope)

We had an excellent medical/dental mission to Cuenca, Ecuador, from January 17–28, 2008. The team was 51 members strong.

Dr. Manuel Avila was again our local leader. He arranged for a large number of patients to attend our clinics. We held a follow-up clinic, seeing patients who had surgery during the previous three years. All were doing very well and extremely grateful. Some put on a little dance to show how well they could now move! It was obvious that the hip or knee replacement surgery had been life-changing for them. The children who had surgery in previous years to repair their club feet, dislocated hips and other deformities were also doing well.

On Sunday afternoon we held a massive clinic. This year, a group of boy scouts locked arms and were effective in crowd control. The patients who were candidates for surgery were then seen by an anaesthesiologists. Those that were not, were given advice and medication, and were then seen by physiotherapists and followed by pastoral care. There were some patients with severe extremes of arthritis that we were not able to help with surgery.

We had an intensive week of surgery. We were able to do 30 hip and knee replacement surgeries. An orthopaedic surgeon from Calgary also did several periacetabular osteotomies (a procedure that provides better coverage over the femoral head) in young people, in the hope of preventing arthritis of the hip later in life. As well, 22 children had surgery and four of those children had two operations. The last day of surgery was particularly emotional. While some patients rejoiced that they were able to have surgery, others had to be told that they would not have surgery. However, the thought that we might be able to return and help them next year gave them hope.

Our two dentists and their assistants provided care to poor children in rural schools. The dental team saw 139 children and four adults. They performed 350 fillings, 67 extractions, 42 sealants and 21 other procedures! With funds from Edmonton Rotary Clubs, we were able to purchase two dental chairs and dental kits, including compressor and suction. These were left in Cuenca so that other dentists can readily use them to help the poor in the Cuenca region.

Much education was done during our mission. Lectures were given at the local medical school by a number of our team members. The orthopaedic surgeons on the team met with the Cuenca Orthopaedic society and did presentations on a number of topics. Several Ecuador surgeons observed and assisted with surgery in order to increase their surgical skills. We have noticed that medical care, in the local hospitals where we have worked, has improved over the years. Our nurses, physiotherapists and doctors are pleased to teach and to exchange ideas with their Ecuadorian colleagues.

Our team worked hard and we were touched by the gratitude and dignity of these poor Ecuadorians. We had a deep sense of “Mission Accomplished.”

Thank you to all who have continued to support this Mission to Ecuador, prayerfully and financially. We thank the Rotary Clubs in District 5370 and Rotary International for their continued support! We also thank Wild Rose Foundation, Royal Alexandra Hospital Foundation, EMAS Evangelical Medical Aid Society and many companies and individual donors for their support.

Yours sincerely,
Thomas H. Greidanus MD
Team Leader, Operation “Esperanza”
tjgreidanus@shaw.ca




January 2008

There were 12 of us from the Alberta Children's Hospital
(including one from Fort Nelson) who travelled to Cuenca,
in January, to do teaching and surgery for children with
developmental musculoskeletal disorders.

These were families who could not otherwise afford the medical treatment that they needed. We saw lots of children in Ecuador who needed surgery because they did not have the advantage of early diagnosis for problems that in Canada would not need surgery. It was very difficult when we saw a child that needed surgery who we could not treat because there were so many others that had come first. We are grateful to the local surgeon, Dr. Carlos Bernal, for looking after these children without pay after we came back to Canada.

Elaine Joughin

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