Providing medical care in rural Cameroon

Hi, my name is Jessica. I am a rising 2nd year medical student at Midwestern University’s Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine. Since choosing to pursue a career in medicine, I have wanted to volunteer to provide healthcare to persons in less developed nations where access to proper medical services is scarce. One of the main reasons I chose to go to medical school is to become an advocate for accessible healthcare for all. Combining that with my passion for traveling and exposing myself to environments unlike the one I was raised in, has led me to the decision to participate in a medical volunteer trip to Cameroon.

On July 20th, myself and a few other CCOM classmates will embark on our 2-week trip to Cameroon located in west Africa to volunteer with the organization ASCOVIME. ASCOVIME is a non-profit organization based in Yaoundé, Cameroon. It was founded in 1998 by Dr. Georges Bwelle, a Cameroonian chief of general surgeon at Yaoundé Central Hospital. The ASCOVIME mission is to fight against poverty and illiteracy in rural, needy populations by providing fundamental basic access to healthcare and education.

While in Cameroon, I will be participating in campaigns in which I will travel with Dr. Bwelle and his team of surgeons, nurses, medical students, and other volunteers in a bus tightly packed with surgical equipment, life-saving pharmaceuticals, and a high-powered generator. We will travel to remote regions across Cameroon and provide medical care at NO CHARGE to these village communities. On a typical campaign, we will be greeted by thousands of villagers some of which have travelled 40-50 km and wait 2-3 days to seek medical care from the ASCOVIME team, most of which have never seen a doctor in their lifetimes. The team sets up a medical consultation area, injection clinic, optometry and dental clinics and surgery area usually at the local schoolhouses or the chief's house. Over the next 48 hours, the team will consult over 500 patients and identify surgical cases and in return Dr. Bwelle only asks the community to provide a place for the team to work.

Since its creation ASCOVIME has:

• visited over 250 villages
• provided free medical care to over 55,000 people
• operated on over 3,500 people
• delivered more than 8,966 babies
• performed over 8,664 ophthalmology consultations
• distributed more than 4,463 glasses
• performed over 4,389 dental consultations
• performed more than 4,305 dental extractions and cleanings
• distributed school supplies to more than 34,832 children and 1,337 teachers
• and so much more!

So.... why am I telling you all this information? I am reaching out to friends, family, acquaintances, and any caring person to ask for donations in the form of both money and supplies. ASCOVIME relies entirely on donations from organizations and volunteers and make every dollar count. Everyone involved is a volunteer and all donations go to help serve those who need it most. 100% of donations goes directly to the needy.

Truly, every little bit helps. I am incredibly thankful to have a network of people to reach out to and the patients in Cameroon are grateful for anything and everything. If you are interested in donating SUPPLIES, I have provided the list of supplies that have been highly requested down below. Lastly, if you have ever volunteered for a trip of this nature and have any words of wisdom I would love to chat further.

Thank you so much in advance! If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out. Due to COVID, we have had to plan our trip in a much shorter time period than student groups of the past. I apologize for the short notice in requesting these donations before July 15th (to provide time for transfer of funds before July 20th departure). 

Link to CNN Heroes story written on Dr. Bwelles in 2013: https://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/cnn.heroes/2013.heroes/georges.bwelle.html

Supplies List:

Medical​ ​supplies

• Stethoscope,​ ​blood​ ​pressure​ ​meter,​ ​exam​ ​gloves,​ ​glucometer,​ ​thermometer
• Suture/stitches​ ​(vicryl​ ​4-0;​ ​3-0;​ ​2-0;​ ​0;​ ​1;​ ​2;​ ​Surgipro;​ ​non​ ​absorbable;​ ​prolene;​ ​absorbable)
• Gauze
• Sterile​ ​gloves​ ​(​ 6.5;​ ​7;​ ​7.5;​ ​8​ )
• Scalpel​ ​blades
• Antiseptics(​ ​isobetadine,​ ​cytéal,​ ​alcohol)
• Forceps​ ​(with​ ​and​ ​without​ ​teeth,​ ​Debakey,​ ​gallstone)
• Clamps​ ​(stone,gastro​ ​intestinal,​ ​rubber​ ​shod​ ​,allis,​ ​allen,​ ​babcock,​ ​De​ ​Matel,​ ​haemostatic​ ​like​ ​Halstead and​ ​adson,​ ​Kelly,​ ​kocher,​ ​right​ ​angle​ ​for​ ​the​ ​rectum,​ ​satinsky)
• Mesh/​ ​cone​ ​lichtenstein​ ​(for​ ​hernias)
• Cauterizer
• Anoscope
• Sclerosing​ ​solution​ ​for​ ​hemorroïd
• Rubber-banding​​for​​treatment​​of​​hemorroïd
• Drain​ ​(closed-suction,​ ​Jackson-Pratt,​ ​Hemovac)
• Catheters
• Needle-driver
• Retractors​ ​(Gelpi,​ ​Balfour,​ ​Hill-fergusson)
• Sponge-holder
• Scissors​ ​(metzembaum,​ ​mayo,​ ​Potts)
• Sterile​ ​metal​ ​boxes​ ​for​ ​instruments

Medications​​ ​-​ ​​CANNOT​ ​TAKE​ ​EXPIRED​ ​MEDICATIONS!!!

• Antibiotics​ ​(amoxicillin,​ ​erythromycin,​ ​doxyciclin,​ ​cloxacilline,​ ​ceftriaxone,​ ​metronidazol,​ ​cotrimoxazol, cefuroxime,​ ​cefadroxil,​ ​ciprofloxacin,​ ​ofloxacin,​ ​gentamicin,​ ​nystatin)
• Anti-inflammatory​ ​(ibuprofen,​ ​indomethacin,​ ​diclofenaco,​ ​ketoprofen,​ ​celecoxib,​ ​dexaméthasone)
• Pain​ ​killers​ ​(acetaminophen,​ ​paracetamol,​ ​tramadol,​ ​bupémorphine,​ ​morphine)
• Vitamins
• Antihistamines
• Intestinal​ ​transit​ ​(phloroglucinol,​ ​omeprazole,​ ​ranitidine,​ ​albendazol)
• Anaesthetics​​ ​​(locals​ ​like​ ​xylocaïne,​ ​loco-regional​ ​and​ ​general)
• Anti-HTA​ ​and​ ​anti-diabetic​ ​drugs
• Ringer​ ​lactate/normal​ ​saline/glucose​ ​5​ ​and​ ​10%/geloplasma/proteins​ ​and​ ​lipids​ ​for​ ​parenteral​ ​use

School​ ​supplies

• Blank​ ​Workbooks/Exercise​ ​Books
• Chalk
• Pencils,​ ​Pens,​ ​Erasers
• Rulers
• Backpacks
• Electric​ ​Torch​ ​or​ ​Oil​ ​Lamp
• Any​ ​Teaching​ ​Materials