Aid In Sokoto
 In
1996, AWD-Stifung Kinderhilfe sent its first medical team to Sokoto
, a remote and dusty town in a savannah region, just south of
the Sahara in North West Nigeria to investigate the possibilities
of establishing an ongoing humanitarian project for the surgical
rehabilitation of children who had survived the ravages of Noma.
This project was conceived in conjunction with the German NGO
and the team was made up of Dutch and German medical specialists
and theatre nurses.
The second
visiting team returned to Sokoto the following year when it became
apparent that the project had the potential for a lasting humanitarian
aid programme. The government of Sokoto State, in particular
the Ministry of Health gave its generous support by starting
the construction
of a purpose built clinic for Noma victims. On the 17th September
1999, the Noma Children Hospital was officially opened by the
Nigerian President Olesogun Obasanjo. As a result, the project
has been definitely accepted at Nigerian Federal Government level.
The Noma Children Hospital - Sokoto  The Noma Children Hospital Sokoto proposes
to become an international centre for research and treatment
of Noma and training of health personnel. It is the first of
its kind in the West African sub region.
The hospital has 75
beds and basic facilities for visiting and accompanying parents/guardians.
It has a full time staff of Nigerian nurses and three medical
doctors, two residents and one paediatric surgeon. The other
medical specialist is a German paediatric surgeon who is also
the medical director of the hospital.
The hospital is partially
funded by the Nigerian government, but much outside help is needed.
Together, AWD Stiftung Kinderhilfe (Germany), The Dutch Noma
Foundation, Interplast (France) and Facing Africa cover the remaining
running costs as well as funding the medical expeditions. At
the moment, there are four expeditions a year, with each team
consisting of two or three plastic or maxillofacial surgeons,
two anaesthetists and two scrub nurses. The cost of sending each
team is around £40,000 most of which is to cover the costs
of travel and medical supplies. The surgeons and nurses give
their time and expertise for free.
 Each visiting team spends
two to three weeks in Sokoto and is generally able to perform
50 – 70 operations, mostly on children suffering the horrible
and ongoing consequences of Noma as well some reconstructive
operation on cleft lips, facial tumors and burns. Once dates are established
for a visiting medical team, children are admitted weeks in advance
in order to improve their nutritional condition. After the team’s
departure, most of the patients need to stay in the hospital
for a recovery period as well as further, less complicated treatment
and for rehabilitation of trismus (learning to use their jaws
to speak and eat).
Having our own hospital out in Nigeria not
only has the advantage that the complicated operations can
be done much more cheaply than in Europe, but also makes sure
that
the little patients are not torn out from their society but
are looked after by their families. Loving affection and care
are
indispensable for the recovery progress after such serious
operations. This commitment is worthwhile: hundreds of little
patients have
become surgically rehabilitated and have been given the chance
of a new life.
A new van donated to the Sokoto Children Hospital by Facing Africa
During the less busy times, when there are
no visiting teams, the resident paediatric surgeons perform less
complicated and specialised surgery and several
local surgeons and anaesthetists have been given further
training
in Europe. This is an important aspect of help to self-help.
The special knowledge they acquired in European specialist
hospitals enables the Nigerian surgeons not only to support
the teams at
the operating table, but also assists competent pre- and
postoperative care. |
