Bongolo Hospital » Stories

Firetruck Donation for Bongolo!

admin — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 21:25:40 +0000

Word has been received by Bongolo Hospital that supporters have purchased a Firetruck for the Bongolo Hospital. Visitors had been at the hospital last year when a fire broke out in the main Hospital Warehouse. They returned to the States and purchased a used Firetruck online from E-Bay!

The Firetruck is a 1975 CF600 Mack Pumper Fire Truck. May 23rd the Firetruck bound for Bongolo was presented to the Pittsford Community Church, Pittsford, New York. A 3 minute talk complete with 26 photos was given and there was a Gabonese artifact-adorned display table and photo board.

Lots of kids were able to climb in, on and around the fire truck (as long as a parent was present). Lots of adults were able to stare in amazement that a 1975 MACK pumper was purchased on eBay and is en-route to Bongolo Hospital in the rain forest of Gabon Africa.

The truck has been prepared and inspected for use at Bongolo Hospital but has not yet been shipped. The Pittsford Community Church is raising money for the shipment of the truck. On “Presentation Day” in May funds were collected for the Firetruck’s shipment to Gabon but the total amount has not yet been raised. Click HERE to see more details on the Firetruck Bound for Bongolo” project. Your tax deductible check may be made out to Pittsford Community Church with “Bongolo Fire Truck” in the note. Pittsford Community Church is located at 421 Marsh Road, Pittsford, NY 14534

A Momentous Occasion for Dr. Baruwa!

admin — Sun, 08 Aug 2010 18:42:55 +0000

Dr. Elisee Baruwa was featured in Eric and Wendy Hofman’s blog on June 26th. Read the following as told by Dr. Wendy Hofman, Ophthalmologist:

Thursday June 24th started as just about any normal day at the Bongolo Eye Clinic would start. After the morning devotional together with the hospital staff, the eye clinic staff arrived at 8am. We’re currently up to a staff of 7 people besides myself:

- Dr. Elisee Baruwa, from the Congo DRC, ophthalmology resident
- Jean Paul, senior nurse
- Edouard, nurse
- Marius, nurse
- Matthieu, nurse
- Oscar, nurses’ aide
- Marie Louise, janitor

We all filed through the doors into the clinic and began the day’s work. We saw postop patients from the previous day’s surgeries, then while consultations were taking place in the clinic, we began our surgeries in the attached OR. After I’d finished the fourth cataract surgery, it was time for Dr. Elisee to come in from the clinic to begin his cataract cases. Here are some of the instruments we use for this surgery:

Elisee’s patient was escorted to the operating table and the anesthesia given. Before the operation, the patient saw only the difference between light and dark in the eye scheduled to be operated on – he couldn’t discern any movement or form with it at all.

Elisee took his place at the head of the bed, began with a prayer, and started the surgery with me watching from the side observer scope of our microscope. Each step went well – the opening of the conjunctiva, the construction of the precisely formed tunnel incision, the paracentesis, filling the eye with viscoelastic, opening the capsule around the lens…lately Elisee has been ending there, but this time he was ready for the next step and he continued…lifting and extracting the opaque white lens (cataract), cleaning the remnants of the cataract, and finally inserting the new clear artificial lens. When he was done, the whole operating team let out a spontaneous cheer – this was Elisee’s first entire MSICS cataract extraction!

Here’s a picture of Elisee, grinning after the surgery, and putting his name down as chief surgeon on the operatory note for this case:

At the end of the afternoon, Jean Paul went to a local store and bought soft drinks for us all to share, and we had a party right there in the clinic, to celebrate a momentous occasion:

(Marius was taking the photo, so is missing from this picture.)

The next day, in the morning, we took the patches off of the patients who had been operated on. Then the visual acuities were measured – Elisee’s patient saw 20/40 already! Here he is examining his patient:

The patient was really happy, and shook Elisee’s hand with joy as we took their pictures:

In some way, I almost feel like this patient is some kind of grandchild of mine, because my student restored his sight.

The patient’s only question was when can we operate on his other eye . Praise God for His continued sustenance and direction as we continue our work here at Bongolo.

PAACS Graduation

admin — Sat, 26 Jun 2010 12:34:23 +0000

Bongolo’s 6^th & 7^thAfrican doctors will finish their Surgery Residency program in July 2010. Dr. Jean Yaradouno will graduate next month after five years of surgical training at the PAACS general surgery training program at Bongolo Hospital. His wife Jackie graduated from the Bongolo Nursing School in May, and gave birth to their second daughter, Grace (not pictured) in June. The couple is headed to Hope Clinic, in Guinea, where they will both serve with a multi-national Alliance team. Dr. Yali Bin Ramazani will graduate at the same time. He and his wife Eveline are planning to serve at the Kalukembe SIM Hospital in Lubango, Angola.

Dr. Yaradouno and family

Dr. Yali and family

Nursing School Graduation!

admin — Wed, 12 May 2010 17:18:10 +0000

On Sunday May 9, 2010 eight Bongolo Hospital Nursing students graduated in a ceremony held during the Bongolo Alliance Church service. The regular church service was held, but the message given by the Alliance District Superintendent, Pastor Mbesse, was directed towards the new graduates. At the end of the service the new Graduate Nurses slipped out and went to the back of the church where they entered the church while doing the “African Shuffle”, to music provided by the worship team, an electric keyboard and guitars.

After several speeches by various people, the diplomas were handed out. A reception was for the new graduate nurses and their invited guests. They were so excited and Praised the Lord to finally be finished with this 29 month study program!

Included in the above photo are three of the school’s Professors: Carolyn Thorson, Lisa Nicky and Moungala Claude. Two Professors, Rebecca Thompson and Karen Fitch were in the States and missed the Graduation.

Cessna Plane makes Unplanned Landing!

admin — Sat, 10 Apr 2010 17:47:11 +0000

The end of March Pilot Steve Straw sent this news item about an unplanned landing of the Air Calvary plane:

“Air Calvary’s Cessna 207 aircraft, based in Gabon, Africa, experienced a loss in engine power and made a forced landing in the village of Owendo, just south of the city of Libreville. No one on the ground was injured and neither were the two pilots and one passenger participating in the training flight. There was minor property damage and the aircraft also incurred structural damage. A detailed report will follow.”

Steve and Alace Straw and their three children are now on a three month planned Home Assignment in the States. No repairs will likely be done on the plane until their return. To follow their trip you may visit their “Arrivals and Departures” blog.