Tyler Loftus
October 12, 2011
Report on BMDF-Sponsored Medical Mission Trip to Cameroon, Africa
Thank you very much to the Baptist Medical Dental Fellowship for providing financial resources which helped to make this trip possible.
1) What problems did you encounter? How would you correct them?
The only problem that I encountered was a language barrier. Although many Cameroonians spoke some English, some spoke French and no English, and the majority of the people were most comfortable speaking Pidgin English. There were two main solutions for this problem: learning some basic Pidgin words and phrases, and getting a nurse to translate when necessary.
2) What are the needs/issues that could be addressed?
The major needs of Mbingo Baptist Hospital are medical personnel, medical resources, and electricity. The hospital staff works diligently and efficiently to account for their manpower shortage. Although the hospital may benefit from additional equipment, everyone does a great job of conserving resources whenever possible and utilizing the available diagnostic and therapeutic capabilities to their fullest. The power generators occasionally fail, but the hospital staff handles these events well. In the operating rooms, within moments of a power failure, several headlamps would be switched on and pointed at the operative field so that the team could continue performing the procedure.
3) What did you learn?
Through discussions with the missionaries in Cameroon, I learned about the importance of obedience to God’s call to missions and dependence upon God for providing all that is necessary to live in the mission field. The missionaries that I met all have strong testimonies and lives that demonstrate the importance of these two principles. Learning these lessons in this setting was far more important than the medical knowledge and surgical experience that I gained on this trip.
4) How do you see this experience affecting/changing your personal and professional life?
This experience has reaffirmed my desire to pursue opportunities to return to the mission field, for short or long term missions. To that end, I hope to match into a residency program in which missions are enabled and encouraged. Also, following residency and possibly fellowship, I hope to return to the mission field for short or long term missions.
5) What have you learned that can be transferred to the U.S.?
In addition to the lessons of obedience to God and dependence on God, I gained a considerable amount of medical and surgical experience and knowledge. The attending physicians at Mbingo Baptist Hospital are very knowledgeable and teach well. Additionally, I was allowed to work with some autonomy with instruction to recognize my own limitations as a medical student and seek help when necessary.
6) What is the significance and probable impact of the project?
Although it is possible that I had some impact on the patients that I had the privilege of caring for and the people of Cameroon that I was fortunate to meet, the greatest impact of this project is the one that these patients and people had on me. Part of this impact came from the fact that their joy and happiness does not depend upon the comfort and luxury associated with life in the United States, but rather on relationships with family and friends and a sense of peace the comes from living within the will of the Father.
7) How has this experience expanded your world awareness?
Although I have traveled to Africa in the past, this was my first trip to Cameroon. As such, this trip expanded my awareness of the issues that are specific to this region. In addition to the needs of Mbingo Baptist Hospital discussed earlier, I learned that infectious diseases like HIV and tuberculosis are significant problems which will continue to require additional attention and resources.
Posted on
Wed, November 16, 2011
by loftus