From January 9th to January 12th, Doctors worldwide Turkey sent a team of four specialized paediatric surgeons and urologists in order to implement a paediatric surgical camp within Sayyidah Fatimah hospital. This project is part of the wider operation “Life for Africa” initiated in July 2011 as a comprehensive approach dedicated to the Horn of Africa Crisis.
Sayyida Fatimah Hospital is located in Mlaleo-Kisauni, Mombasa in Kenya. It is currently run by Iqra Charitable Society which has its headquarters in Jeddah and is also registered in Kenya
Both DWW office in Kenya and the hospital’s personal put a lot of efforts to publicize the event through the media, schools, mosques and ambulances. Thanks to this active campaign, many patients were screened and a list of potential candidates was sent to the Head Surgeon before the arrival of the Turkish specialists.
The team was composed by Prof.Dr. Yunus Soylet, Istanbul University Rector, Prof.Dr. Haluk Emir, Head of Paediatric Surgery Department in Istanbul University, Dr. Cem Sultan Kara, Children Surgeon and Dr. Nalan Emir, Anaesthesiologist.
In four days, the four surgeons assisted by local health professionals performed 24 surgical acts on 15 patients presenting complex cases such as hernia, hypospadias, undescended testis and repair of traumatic urethra.
According to the Hospital Chairman, this surgical camp had a very positive impact on the community and it should help boost the popularity of the hospital by providing adequate treatment, including surgeries, to patients who could not afford such interventions otherwise. At the end of the program, DWW Kenya manager designed a certificate of appreciation to thank the volunteers and Sayyidah Fatimah Hospital’s personal who made this event successful.
During their stay, the Turkish doctors also visited Khadija Centre, a free primary school providing education to poor children in rural area in the south of Mombasa. For several years DWW-UK has been implementing a small health clinic in the grounds of this school. They also had a chance to meet with Turkish nationals residing in Kenya and with other doctors in Mombasa. This meeting was a good opportunity to explore further cooperation and to strengthen ties between Turkey and Kenya.