WOC (UK): Zambia
- Linkman: Hillary Robinson (email: ) / Luke McSweeney
- Suitable for: Consultants
- Trainees, recognition might be available
- Registrars of at least 2 years experience
- Work: Teaching at all levels - Clinical Students, Junior Staff & Post.Grad. M.Med.Orth.
- Clinical work at UTH Lusaka and on FlySpec visits to up-country hospitals.
- A minimum of 4 weeks is suggested, more would be most welcome.
- Juniors - visits should be arranged with Prof.Jellis of Mr.Y.Mulla.
- Some help with airfares may be available.
- Accommodation available; Car available.
Zambia is a fascinating country; the political climate is stable; the people delightful and most welcoming.
Climate varies from very hot & dry to hot & wet to dry & cool. Malaria is a problem - prophylaxis is essential. AIDS & TB are rife and precautions must be maintained.
Electricity and Water supply should be available but are weather dependant, as are sewerage and telephones. In the last two years Zambia has gone "mobile mad". Lusaka has good shopping centres, several interesting markets, plenty of good eating places, reasonable roads (in parts) but few opportunities for concerts, plays, opera/dance. Art galleries have exhibitions of variable interest.
Examples of Patients and Problems
-- donated by Miss Hillary Robinson --
A 10yr.old girl presenting at an isolated mission hospital, where there is no orthopaedic surgeon, with a completely rigid upper spine from a form of juvenile rheumatoid. Prof.Jellis has considerable experience of operating on spinal TB and spinal trauma but would not attempt surgery on this case. The FlySpec Major Operations Fund would send her to a spinal specialist in South Africa but lacks the resources at present and is seeking donations.
A girl of about 11 yrs. presented with multiple skeletal dysplasias; NO nasal bone, NO tibia, deformity of the hands and multiple other deformities. Prof.Jellis has "Cattle-trucked" heh fibular and "put about half her pelvis into her leg". This girl typifies patients treated under the FlySpec Major Operations Programme which was established to treat those patients too lod to come under the Cheshire Homes Childrens' Programme and too complex to be treated in the out-reach hospitals. Patients are treated free of charge at ZIOH (Zambia Italian Orthopaedic Hospital), the Fund pays the hospital expenses ie. Hotel costs, drugs & dressings and theatre costs. The surgeons donate their services; when needed the Fund gives a grant towards the cost of travel to and from Lusaka.
