Medical leave from Ghana, West Africa to New Jersey via Istanbul, Turkey

 Preoperative photo of a child with a congenital herniation of brain through nasal defect who did well with surgery.

 A malnourished child whose infection destroyed the side of her face two years ago and will need extensive surgery now that she is nourished.

 The friendly Ear, Nose and Throat staff of Marmara University Hospital who taught me while visiting Istanbul.

 Turkish desserts in Istanbul.

 Turkish desserts in Istanbul.

 Mosque, Istanbul at night.

Istanbul, Turkey from the Bosphorus Strait.

 Istanbul, Turkey from the Bosphorus Strait.
 
-->

I am currently home in the US to spend time with my family and to attend an ear, nose and throat meeting at which I intend to procure critical medical equipment for Tamale Teaching Hospital. On route, I flew Turkish Airlines and had an interesting two-day layover in Istanbul. My work in Ghana is rewarding - teaching medical students, treating infections, saving the lives of children choking from inhaled foreign bodies and repairing facial lacerations and fractures resulting from road traffic accidents. It is also stressful. There are cultural conflicts, more work than can be accomplished and a lack of laboratory, pathology, radiology and anesthesia support. Although medical care is available in the southern part of the country, the majority of patients we see in the Northern Region cannot afford even the cost of travel to get to those facilities. Hopefully, I will return to Tamale with renewed enthusiasm and strength to both overcome the challenges and continue to provide care to those in need.