Despite the lengthened travel due to poor visibility for landing in Chittagong, our team of 24 medical and non-medical volunteers gathered for breakfast this morning at 5:30am. We had a lot of work to accomplish to organize for the opening clinic. Prospective patients and their families began arriving to the hospital by 7:30am.
Following registration, patients are examined by the surgeons, anesthesiologists, pediatrician and nurses to assure they are healthy candidates for surgery. It’s crowded, hectic and challenging but we were well in control. Local Rotarians and Rotaractors helped as interpreters. By the end of the day, we had screened 172 prospective patients. In addition to the children presenting with cleft lips and palates, many patients in Bangladesh are victims of severe burns, often from cooking fires.
Check back in the coming days for their stories and photos.
