Greetings in the last month of 2024 to you!
We have had an event-filled November and already December, highlights being a visit to Cavango hospital and a palliative care conference.
Cavango, a village on the Cubango river, sits at the headwaters for the Okavango delta. Our friends work at a 70-bed mission hospital - recently rebuilt on the ruins of a mission hospital destroyed during the civil war. The site serves around 30,000 scattered in nearby villages, but sees patients from the cities of Huambo and Kuito as well. It was a joy to be and work with our friends the De Sousas and the Gouds, who serve the community there as medical care providers, pilot, children's ministry, maintenance and much more. Our kids loved playing games, fishing, making crafts and sharing a week with their kids.
After getting back to Kalukembe, we hosted the palliative care team from CEML hospital in Lubango to help lead a one-day conference in palliative care. Given care at the end-of-life is multi-dimensional to address the many factors that come up for our patients, we were glad to have representation from all the sections in the hospital, including our chaplain and our psychologist. As much an introductory course as it was exposure to other colleagues doing palliative care elsewhere, I was greatly encouraged by the discussions with others I had even after the conference. We hope this will be seed spread for future growth of a multidisciplinary palliative care team here in Kalukembe!
 |
| Posing with most of our palliative care conference participants. As the photo was taken, we all shouted, "We shine!" |
 |
| As part of the conference, participants practiced in small groups difficult conversations about prognosis and developing plans of care based on patient values |
 |
| Guilhermina and Emmanuel, nurses from the CEML palliative care team, sharing case stories and their experiences since their program's inception in 2020 |
 |
| On the Cavango airstrip with our gear for the week! |
 |
| Dr. Eduardo DeSousa giving the morning public health and devotional talk to patients and staff. Cavango mission hospital |
 |
| Dr. Eduardo finishing up an LP on a patient with bacterial meningitis. Given lab limitations, the CSF fluid was tested for gross appearance (very purulent) and glycemic level (low) |
 |
| A couple days later, the meningitis patient's father was happily cradling his son to feed him (photo permission granted!). This was really sweet, to see the patient improve gradually during our time in Cavango. It's a joy to help and see recovery! |
 |
| The beautiful Cuvango river. . . crocs don't like rapids! |
 |
| Sorry that this is out of sequence--but just to show we are in the Christmas spirit here in Kalukembe! Priscila and Julia popping LOTS of popcorn for the children of 3 local churches who will be performing in the youth Christmas services this past Sunday. |
|
Priscila and Daniel with Ester and Cecilia, nurses, and a patient (face blurred to protect identity) at Cavango Mission Hospital. Though not much OBGYN occurred during our time there, Priscila was able to help Dr. Eduardo and his team manage this patient who came in 1 week post partum suffering from infected retained products of conception. Even helping a few to restore their health was an encouragement for us and for our colleagues there. We are so thankful for the work they and the care they give to people in Cavango.
|
