The Hospital is really in need of supplies. Follow the link to see the list of supplies needed to better take care of our hospital and patients.
Cleft lip and palate as well as cataracts surgeries November 2013
For the first two weeks of November 2013 we had been having people with cleft lips and palates come into our hospital and leaving with lives totally changed. Some that came in where in their adult lives and felt so happy to finally fit into society. Others were babies that will now never have to feel like outcasts because of how they looked. Praise and glory goes to God the Almighty for the things he has done! What miracles and wonderful blessings.
The last two weeks we tried to get through as many people with cataracts as possible. Some that came in we could not help and just needed glasses but many others got the blessing of sight back. After their eye patches came off many were filled with tears for they could walk without assistance because they could see again.
Let us honor God with an Amen for these amazing blessings, and let us also thank the surgeons that came all the way from America to perform these amazing surgeries!
The first surgery team of 2013: The Prolapse Team
Day1: The team got to Gimbie so late in the evening that they did not have much time to get familiar with the OR theaters. Instead they worked hard to get all their stuff unpacked and sorted for the next day, and planned to try to jump right into things.
Day2: Everyone was up and on fire to start working, but if you are from Gimbie or have been here before you know that they were not able to get started right away. Instead there was some confusion and things could not begin right away. Yet despite all this they did their best and still managed to get a few surgeries done.
Day3: A little disappointed with how little they got done on the first day, the team all got up early in the morning so that they could have a fresh start. They managed to get around 6 surgeries done and were starting to feel like they were going to be able to accomplish their mission.
Day4: With great success the previous day the team was really starting to get into a routine, and were working on surgeries from 7am to 5-6pm. When asked about all the work that they were doing they would always answer with great enthusiasm. One Doctor even said that she felt more useful working here that she ever felt in America, because the people here are so happy to be treated and no one is complaining about insurance issues.
Day5&6: These days were much of the same; working from sunup to sundown and watching the recovering patients. During these days they learned of an 18 year old girl who had a prolapse that she had been living with for years. It had gotten so bad that the girl even had to quite school. The only problem was that her blood pressure was way too high for surgery. The team took a couple of days to monitor her and decide if they could do the surgery.
Day7: On sabbath day our hospital dose not do surgeries unless it is an emergency, so this gave the team a little break to rejuvenate.
Day8,9&10: Things went pretty well, and during this time they managed to give the 18yr/old her surgery. They took her whole story, and she says that she fell from a tree when she was younger and it got worse over the years. Her case was really extreme as well because she also had a rectal prolapse. The team then went on to tell the girl that if they do the surgery she would not be able to have children. The girl said that all she cared about was if she could go to school again after the surgery. Once they reassured her that she could then she was willing to go through with the surgery.
After the surgery the girl was so happy with the idea of being able to go back to school and become part of society again.
Day11: Two doctors stayed behind for three extra days to watch the recovering patients, while the rest of the team left to go back to their homes.
After this short but wonderful time, everyone that came left feeling happy about all that happened and all their patients felt blessed by God that this team came and gave them a miracle.
May God bless you all!!! Thank you!!!
Our first volunteer group this year: February 2013
A group of volunteers made it here safely and have been all over the hospital campus doing what they can to help the people.
We had some that came and helped in the dental department. They brought much needed supplies and gave a helping hand to our one dentist.
There was also some helping in our Out Patient Department (OPD). Many people come to the hospital for help, but we have a limited staff available, so a few people from the group helped us with diagnosing and treating patients.
Temporarily our eye clinic was open again, and because of the team, we had been accepting people with eye problems to come in to either be treated or be given eyeglasses.
An ICU nurse was here and she attempted to give special training to some of our nurses so that they can better care for post-op patients coming out of surgery.
Some were here working with our maintenance crew in fixing our ambulance, generator, OR machines, and anything else that they found.
We all had a good time and much got done…Praise God for such a wonderful blessing!!!
Here is a story directly from one of our visitors:
What was Gimbie? Where was it? Those question came quickly when Dr. Erling Oksenholt invited me to come with him. Answers really came much later.
Dr. Oksenholt asked me to do interviews with people wanting . . . something. They all seemed to need much more than I could promise. Need was all around. Poverty and its company of malnutrition and lack of education hit me repeatedly.
The words I remember: “Give me . . .” followed me wherever I went. Even now.
We Americans pretty much have what we/they need or want. We go to where poverty reigns and people of need see us as people who give. Like Marines we land. We rescue. We leave. Everything remains the same. It’s a play that echos where ever we Americans go.
The modern limerick: give a man a fish and he eats for a day; teach him to fish and he eats for a lifetime. or words to that effect. What I saw in Gimbie were people who want a fish. It was like another modern parable. An ocean beach lined with star fish. A person comes by picking up one after another, throwing them back into the sea. Another person seeing this says to him, “You can’t be serious. There are too many of them to change anything.” The person throwing the starfish back into the sea, stoops gathers another starfish and throws into the sea, saying, “It made a difference to that one.”
No, we can’t help all the people of Gimbie. But we do make a difference to individuals we help. Ask Dr. Oksenholt. He has seen quite a few life changes in those who have been helped. Some of them make a difference to others in Ethiopia.
So what were we as Americans doing in Gimbie? Giving fish to the hungry? Throwing starfish back into the sea? Teaching people to fish? There are no clear answers, yet.
The Gimbie College may be an important step in learning to fish. I found that those I met gave me a gift. A gift of need. I tried to give them the gift of listening. The Jesus that I meet everyday is in people all around. In Gimbie that is who I met. As Christians we become the instruments of Jesus, as noted in John’s Gospel, as we meet others. Thus the Christ in them meets the Christ in me.
That was the gift of Gimbie for me. It gave me the opportunity to serve others. Service is Gimbie. The GAH becomes more of that promise by serving.
From
The Rev. Ronald V. Belnap
at Gimbie February, 2013 with
the Oksenholt Medical Team