Our final full day of the mission has arrived. Due to our flight schedule and the upcoming elections in Bangladesh, this trip is one day shorter than usual. Early tomorrow morning (02/12), the team will head to the airport to begin the journey home.

There has been quiet conversation in the city about the elections. Many people want to be back with their families in time. Dr. Bijoy departed yesterday afternoon for that reason. While there was some tension leading up to this period, inside our hospital walls we have felt none of it. Here, the focus remains exactly where it should be: care, compassion, and healing.

The Final Procedures

The day begins with four more treatments. A few patients receive scar revisions under light sedation. These are not major operations, but they make a profound difference. Each correction means greater mobility, less self-consciousness, and more confidence.

And slowly, it begins to sink in: this is it. The operating room, which has been the beating heart of the mission for days, grows quiet.

Post-Clinic: Follow-Up and Farewell

Meanwhile, the waiting room fills for post-clinic. Patients and parents return for their final check-ups. But what stands out most is that many also come simply to say goodbye.

There is an almost celebratory atmosphere. Despite the wait, there is connection, warmth, and gratitude. Parents smile. Children proudly show their progress. The local hospital staff continue to help with a kindness that has touched us every single day.

The surgeons are visibly joyful as they see “their” patients again. The results are beautiful. Incisions are healing well. Bandages come off and are refreshed. New smiles appear—some shy, some radiant.

This is why we are here.

Packing Under Pressure

Behind the scenes, the team is working hard. Everything must be sorted:

  • What stays behind? (medical supplies and consumables)
  • What travels back with us? (equipment and instruments)
  • What needs to be formally transferred?

There is time pressure. The clock is ticking. Yet, just like throughout the entire mission, the work unfolds in close cooperation and good spirits.

An Unexpected Highlight: The Shoe Shop 👟

And then… a beautiful initiative by Dr. Hootan.

A real shoe shop is set up—first on the ward, so the final surgical patients get first choice of a brand-new pair of shoes. Later, the “shop” moves downstairs so children attending post-clinic can choose a pair as well.

What joy. Small feet in new shoes. Pride, laughter, trying on different pairs and comparing styles. Sometimes it’s these seemingly small gestures that give a mission even deeper meaning.

Not a Goodbye… But a Celebration

At the end of the day, we do not say goodbye to the hospital—we celebrate the mission. With cake. With gratitude. With hope that we will see each other again soon.

Rotaplast missions are about far more than surgery alone. They are about collaboration, shared knowledge, and sustainable impact—exactly what Rotaplast has stood for from the very beginning. We are here not only to help in the short term, but also to strengthen local healthcare systems for the future.

A Warm Rotary Farewell 🌹

The evening concludes with an official farewell hosted by the Rotary Club of Agrabad. We receive flowers, a certificate of appreciation, a beautiful rose, and a thoughtful gift.

But above all, we feel friendship.

The bond between the local Rotary Club, the hospital, and our team is strong. This is what has driven Rotaplast for nearly 35 years: changing lives together.

💙 Together, we make the difference.