Medical Mission Nigeria April 2024 Report

Hello Supporters, Friends, and Family,

I hereby write a brief summary of another free medical and surgical mission plus educational programs/trainings that occurred April 4-14, 2024 in Umuahia, Abia State, Nigeria. I wore two hats as a volunteer for Chima Medical Missions INT’L (CMMI) and that of the Association of Nigerian Physicians (ANPA). The program was in collaboration with the dynamic Abia State Governor, HE Dr. Alex Otti, his government team, and volunteer local health care providers.

We were 75 volunteers from the Diaspora and individually paid for our airfare, bought medications and surgical supplies that we took along, plus provided free care and knowledge/skills transfer. The program commenced with a hybrid live and virtual Educational webinar on Diabetes and Kidney Disease, then workshops in Basic Life Support (BLS), Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), Helping Babies Survive (HBS), and Stop the Bleed (STB) program of the American College of Surgeons. These lifesaving programs trained and certified almost 100 healthcare workers and community members to become local trainers in our absence, thus building capacity and continuity.

The medical, pediatric, surgical, ophthalmic, and dental services were spread across four different hospitals (Federal Medical Center, Abia Specialist Hospital, Amachara General Hospital, and Madonna Hospital), which allowed us to reach a wider segment of the population, but created some daily logistics challenges.

Medical and Pediatric sub specialties included internal medicine, family practice, geriatrics, cardiology, gastroenterology, infectious disease, nephrology, psychiatry, hematology oncology, radiology, and attended to about 7,000 patients! The usual ailments treated included diabetes, hypertension, malaria (with rapid tests), arthritis, mental health, malnutrition, rashes to name a few. Exciting additions to this mission were the availability of a Radiologist with portable ultrasound that gave us real time diagnostic information helpful in immediate decision making and care. Also the Geriatrician had a fun program where one of our elderly but very smart and active volunteers practiced taught exercises and stretches with patients who loved it!

Our gastroenterologists performed and taught upper endoscopy procedures and colonoscopies to local providers. This was part of the ANPA colon cancer awareness and screening program, whereby Fecal Immune Tests (FIT) were sent ahead of time and those with positive results were scoped. Several polyps were removed working with local doctors, again building capacity and skills transferred.
Our local volunteer Ophthalmologists worked tirelessly to achieve their lofty goal of performing 500 cataract surgeries, using the consumables we supplied.

Other surgical specialties included neurosurgery, general surgery, pediatric surgery, anesthesia, gynecology that performed about 178 operations including spine surgery, thyroidectomies for large goiters, hernias (inguinal, umbilical, incisional), pediatric hernias, hydroceles, lipomas, lumps and bumps, very large fibroids removals, etc.

The Dental Technicians and Hygienists kept busy with teeth cleaning and dental hygiene. Every team was supported by our dynamic Pharmacy group that dispensed all medications and gave drug educations. Medical records were captured on our newly created ANPA Electronic Health Record supported by the EHR Team. See attached pictures and more on ANPA.org and chimamedicalmissions.com
Interestingly, as I was in a United Airlines return flight from Lagos to Washington DC, I was awakened by the flight attendant’s voice over the PA system asking for a doctor on board. I attended to a 60 year old female in seat 45C complaining of abdominal pain associated with anxiety (after severe turbulence) and hypertension. After checking her vital signs, oxygen saturation, thorough system focused History and Physical exam, I treated her with anti hypertensive plus pain medications, emotional support and reassurance, to her genuine appreciation and delight of the flight crew since we didn’t need to divert the flight. It seems like our work never ends…

Thanks to our families, volunteers, donors, collaborators, supporters like you, and God, who gave us the health, strength and courage to give back to mankind.
My dream is for a day when these charity medical missions will be unnecessary or very rare as a result of improved health care globally. Until then we will continue to do the best we can.

Remain blessed,
Cliff C. Eke, MD, FACS, FICS
Founder/CEO CMMI
President Elect ANPA