Featured photo is Team Surgeon Paul Faringer, MD from Honolulu Hawaii assisted by the Team Medical Director Todd Farnworth, MD. The Team Lead Anesthesiologist Robert Karoukian is in the middle working on the burned hand of a boy who fell into a open burn pit.
Early morning on Saturday 15 June the Rotaplast Team again returns to the Mount Meru Regional Hospital starting with ‘rounds’ where the surgeons, pediatricians and Team members make status visit to patients. In the operating room, once again both teams are underway assisting patients and Saturday will again start with severe burn where the skin has contracted immobilizing necks, arms, legs and hands.
Pictured below is Surgeon Paul Faringer, MD a surgeon at Kaiser Permanente in Honolulu. After several years of private practice in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, Dr. Faringer relocated to the Kaiser hospital in Honolulu. Originally a Californian, he did his undergraduate studies in Oregon, making him a life-time ‘Duck’ going on to UCLA to complete his medical studies. This is his second Rotaplast Mission.
Repair of burn scars of arms, hands and legs require special dressing and post-surgery physical therapy to gain or re-gain use. Pictured is the Team Physical Therapist Linda Zellerbach applying a special splint to keep the fingers and hand in a proper position during the healing process.
Physical Therapist Linda Zellerbach retired from full-time work at St. Francis Hospital in San Francisco after 40 years of service. She now volunteers and teaches part time. This mission is her second Rotaplast mission. A passionate teacher, she enlisted Medical Records volunteer Patrick LeBrun a Rotarian from Pasadena California to assist in applying the special bandaging as pictured below.
Upon completion of the all procedures, the patient is taken from the Operating Room to the Recovery Room where the PACU (post anesthesia care unit) takes over. For the Arusha ’19 mission the PACU Team is led by Ligaya Agustin, RN from Bloomingdale, Illinois who retired from full-time service after 44 years to become a full-time volunteer with over 30 missions, 12 with Rotaplast. Working with her is Bruce Hickey, RN, from Palm Desert California on his 15th Rotaplast mission. Pictures are RN’s.
Supporting the PACU work is Rotarian volunteer, Eddie Garcia from Boulder City Nevada.
The PACU Team awaits the next patient.
The next patient is another burn patient with hands severely burned. This young boy fell into an open burning fire pit being used for burning trash/rubbish.
A part of the Rotaplast mission is transfer knowledge to the local community medical staff. This is an important part of the mission. Pictured below is Rotaplast Mission Surgeon Rod Simmons, MD from San Francisco, California demonstrating skin grafting techniques to Dr. Ngi, an Intern at the Mount Meru Regional Hospital having completed her studies she hopes to complete her internship, receive her certificates and provide health care across Tanzania.
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