Developing World Site Evaluation

A Definite Need for Interplast in Mali

Mother and Child With Cleft
Originally uploaded by interplast.

I went to visit an orphanage/shelter run by Maly, my Bamako contact. While I was there she showed me a woman with a baby who has a cleft. The mother had no means to get it fixed, and was also staying at the shelter because she has no resources.

If our team can come to Bamako next year like I am hoping, we will be able to fix the child's cleft for free. I actually saw two others in a similar situation and I am sure there are many more, so it seems like there is a definite need for Interplast here in Mali.

AIDS Orphans

AIDS Orphans
Originally uploaded by interplast.

While visiting the Gibreal Toure Hospital, where I anticipate we will work, I toured the pediatric ward. There was a large group of children waiting to be seen, standing in the hallway. The two girls in the photo are just two of that group. As it turns out, I was told that they are all AIDS orphans.

Abrahim And His Father

Abrahim And His Father
Originally uploaded by interplast.

I told Abrahim’s father that Interplast would come to Mali in the future and help his son. Abrahim’s father has on the traditional long robe (called forokia in Bambara, the local language) worn by many men here.

Abrahim's Cleft Palate

Abrahim's Cleft Palate
Originally uploaded by interplast.

Abrahim has a cleft of the secondary palate (soft palate). His speech is vey difficult to understand, as one would expect. There is no one in Mali who does cleft palate repair. He was brought to me when I visited a the Luxembourg hospital, built for Mali by the government of Luxembourg. It's a small and nice hospital, but it’ not suitable for us.

Imam and Cleft Baby

Imam and Cleft Baby
Originally uploaded by interplast.

They first asked me to see about ten patients with cleft problems, primarily so that I could tell them we would be here to help them in future. One of the patients is shown here with his parents (his father is an imam). I did an extended written questionnaire and evaluation of the hospital in addition to the tour. I think this is a very suitable team site for our next fiscal year.

Evaluating Sites in Mali

Evaluating Sites in Mali
Originally uploaded by interplast.

I am Dr. Bill Schneider, Interplast’s chief medical officer. Part of my job is to evaluate sites for future Interplast surgical team trips, visiting educator trip and surgical outreach center directors. I am currently in Bamako, Mali, the first stop of a three week fact-finding trip to Africa that will also include Ghana and Ethiopia. Currently Interplast has a surgical outreach center in Lusaka, Zambia, and I am excited about the prospect of expanding our development work elsewhere in Africa.

Today was spent visiting several hospitals here in Bamako, Mali to determine if this would be a good place to bring an Interplast surgical volunteer team. There are no plastic surgeons in Mali, a country of over 12 million people. It appears that there are only two surgeons who do cleft lip repairs, and no one who does palate repairs. The Gibreal Toure Hospital has the largest pediatric department in Mali and is the primary pediatric referral center. They are interested in lectures and teaching in all of our specialties.