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Socotra Camp, 19 – 23 February 2007
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“Eavel konk!” or “Howdy mate!” is a common
Socotri greeting .
Socotra island, in the Hadramout governorate
of Yemen has a population of approx 120,000 people. The people
speak Socotri and Arabic. Hadibo hospital is the only hospital on
the island There are only four medical doctors from the Socotri
community and all of them work at the hospital.
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The
common occupation on the island is fishing and some livestock
farming; there is no vegetable or fruit farming people here are too
poor to afford even basic health care; most of the children are anemic. Because of the distance from the mainland, cleft and other
deformed patients on the island remain untreated for life.
The Hadibo hospital is a very poor hospital
with a few rooms donated by expat volunteers.
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During the Yemen Smile
camp, there was only one small cylinder of oxygen and we were told
that the next supply would take at least two weeks to reach the
island by boat. Dr.Wahid and Sister Jeanette got to work immediately
on the spartan operation theatre while Bona and Ton screened over 30
patients with cleft lips, cleft palates, burns, facial palsy and
other deformities.
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Six cleft patients and six other patients with
burn contractures and scars were operated upon successfully;
thankfully, the cylinder of oxygen lasted the entire period of the
camp.
An oxygen saturation meter (the first of its kind
on the island!) and paed anesthesia circuit were donated to the
hospital by Yemen Smile. We are thankful to Dr.Saad, the Medical
Director and the staff of Hadibo for their support during this camp
and hope to help the island in the near future with some much needed
medical items and a steam sterilizer for the theatre.
The next camp for the remainder of the patients
will be sometime early November 2007. Thanks to DNO/ Total and others
for the air tickets for the team and funding for the camp.
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HOW YOU CAN HELP
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Yemen Smile relies
entirely on donations to carry on its work.
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Find out more
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