We just passed the halfway point of the mission and the pre-op area, operating rooms, recovery room and patient ward are abuzz with activity. Our local hosts have set up a break room where they provide us with fine Colombian coffee, juicy tropical fruits, pastries and three-course savory hot lunches to keep our energy topped up.
Surgical teams rotate in between patients for lunch or a much deserved brief rest. Some of these complex surgeries can last five hours or longer. By this time in the mission all 24 members have settled into their routines. Our first few days of patients have gone home with improved opportunities for greater success in their lives.
Here is how we looked this morning as we left the hotel at 6:30 am, ready for another day of saving smiles and changing lives. And, in no particular order, an environmental portrait of each team member as they perform their respective duties. With an impressive collective total of 250 Rotaplast missions among us, we are an awesome team for maximum effectiveness.
Jerry Meshulam, Photojournalist