Author: Bert&Debbie

Most of our patients are nice and appreciate our service. However, over recent years we have had twelve incidents of aggression in which members of our staff have been injured.

Our guards have no weapons, so I spoke with the Gendarme officer in charge of this district. Starting this coming Monday, there will be an armed Gendarme posted at our main entry gate 24/7.

The small building in the photo below will be the Gendarmes’ station. The main entrance to the hospital is to the right.
The two photos below show the new windows for the pharmacy extension.

The photo below shows that the foundation for the Steve Oubre Memorial House is done and the walls are going up. (Antony, our builder, is in stripes.)

Thanks for your interest, prayers, and support.
Bert

The big wind and rain storms we had last week revealed all the low spots.

These “sand dunes” piled all over the campus will be used the fill the low places.

Joel, our second-year med student son at LSU in New Orleans, is here to serve with us for three weeks.

What a blessing it is to serve as a father/son team in the OR doing something we both have a passion for! Thank you, Jesus!

As we have mentioned the heat here many times, it is only fair to tell you that at noon today (7/8/17), it is 75F outside and 80 inside. Humidity is 71% and it is raining lightly. No whining today.

The above photo shows that the walls are going up quickly on the new surgical center.

Rainy weather is slowing it down a bit but it’s good for the new concrete blocks.

Our four new lawnmowers have arrived. Three females & one male lawnmower to be exact. So far. More coming.

These three female local breeds are all pregnant. Since goats commonly have twins and triplets, our herd should at least double or triple in a year.

This not so handsome guy is an Arab goat and is wondering, “Why am I here? All the gals are already with kid?”

We’ll add two nonpregnant females tomorrow.

Thanks for your prayers and support!
Bert

This little skinny guy with a large abdominal mass came to me after going to a doctor in the city who sent him for a CT scan at the French Modern Hospital. The impression was a nephroblastoma or a Wilm’s tumor. I planned to spend about three hours removing it but found instead a large, cystic mass of the liver. It was not

I planned to spend about three hours removing it but found instead a large, cystic mass of the liver. It was not resectable (able to be removed by surgery). Sad case.

The next case today was a 70-year-old man with jaundice and an ultrasound that diagnosed a biliary tract stone. I had concerns it might be something worse. We don’t have great instruments for a common duct procedure. Anyway, we found the obstruction was from pancreatic carcinoma (clinical impression).

The next case was a 57-year-old educated teacher who had classical gallbladder disease symptoms. Her ultrasound showed two stones “in the biliary system.” I found her gallbladder thickened but could not palpate stones. I removed the gallbladder and opened it, and there were, indeed, two small stones impacted in the cystic duct.

So local imaging experts got a 33:3 % score today.

Advanced malignancy is much more common than gallbladder disease here. Doing a cholecystectomy (surgical removal of the gallbladder) under Ketamine (a synthetic nonbarbiturate general anesthetic) can be a real battle with no control of the airway nor muscle relaxant.

We should have “proper general anesthesia”  here within two years as we are sending one of our English speaking nurses to Kenya for formal training. Another nurse follows him next year.

Short-term Mission House

The New House

Security Gate

Steve’s House

Residences

It’s Not a Snake

Plumbing Problem Solved

When our bathroom sink plugged up we hired a plumber who works with Antony to check it out. The problem was not the gooseneck joint.

Guess what was found?

The individual who was here to work on the plumbing left the pipe to drain directly into the dirt.

Neem tree roots really thought that was a great idea so they got thirsty and grew right into the pipe and finally plugged it.

While the plumber and helper were here, construction supervisor Debbie, asked them to check out the shower drain and the awful odor. It drains directly into the septic tank as does the toilet drain. Without a valve to prevent it, it is no surprise that there was the terrible smell all these years.

The problem is now solved.

June 27th was another very hot day, but then we had a dust storm that often moves in before a rain.

Though the dust storm was not welcome, the rain was as is cools everything down some. We did not expect hurricane force winds. Pieces of sheet metal

We did not, however, expect hurricane force winds. Pieces of sheet metal blew around dangerously.

After the rain came and went, we walked around to see if any damage had been done to the hospital. It had.

This is the roof of our new staff meeting room laying against the back of the women’s ward.

SURGERY

Another all morning case and another giant tumor of the kidney. Probably renal cell cancer. Sadly, this one is almost certain to be malignant.

We have prolonged his life but very likely there is already metastatic spread that will take his life within one or two years or less. He will have the opportunity, fortunately, several more times here to accept or reject Jesus.

His total hospital bill will be $500. If he could even find any other surgeon in this area willing to tackle such a case, his bill would be much more. The French hospital would charge at least $6000. The latter fee is only affordable by the rich here.

He says he was shot in the face by a roadside robber in Libya. We’ll try to help him.

 

NOMAD MINISTRY

Debbie and friends have made great inroads into sharing the Gospel with the Muslim Arab Nomads.

With an American missionary friend who knows Arabic well, she recently shared directly with a group of Nomads, some who have undergone surgery here.

The matriarch said, “Why didn’t you share this news with us earlier!?”

Debbie would have liked to have done that but her Arabic is too primitive.

She and her Arabic speaking friend will have one more opportunity before the Nomads move their camels elsewhere for about six months. But we expect to interact with them again next dry season.

PRAISE ITEM

A 16-year-old girl who lived with other adolescents on the street was stabbed in the abdomen. She underwent surgery here and three days later accepted Christ! One of our Chadian female nurses led her to the Lord. PTL!

RAMADAN

Ramadan ended the evening of June 24th. Because of Ramadan, the last two weeks have been especially slower in outpatient as well as inpatient services. 

RAINY SEASON & CHALLENGES

It seems the rainy season is here. More cool days and nights, high humidity, and more insects and malaria.

And no more hot showers. Plus I have a strained knee that slows me down.

There seems to be no end to the challenges here. It’s clear we’ve still attracted the enemy’s attention. But lives and souls are being saved, so it is all worth it!!

Thanks for providing prayers and financial support for this vital ministry for the Kingdom. Both are needed more than ever!

Bert and Debbie

“So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them, for the Lord your God will go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you.”
~ Deuteronomy 31:6