Dear friends;
This week has been a whirlwind of activity as we launched the new surgical retina program with our partners at the Mater Dei Hospital. Dr. Matt West, a retina surgeon from Birmingham, Alabama arrived on Saturday, February 22nd, and he began performing surgery on Monday, February 24th. Dr. Gilbert Moyo, the retina doctor in training, helped him, and quite soon after the first operation, Dr. West gave him some control over parts of the operations.
Dr. West performed surgery on 12 patients while Steve was troubleshooting the issues of the operating microscope and the vitrectomy machine along with a host of other issues.
We are also grateful for Dr. Dennis Sibanda, the only retina surgeon who is based in Harare, for flying down to spend a day in surgery working alongside Matt and Gilbert.
We cannot adequately express our appreciation for the two Australian nurses who took of their time and talents to assist in retina surgeries. They set up the operating theater, the equipment and the running of the vitrectomy machine. They shared their expertise in the running of an efficient operating room with the local hospital staff as they modeled excellence in healthcare. Their work with us was invaluable as we cared for those with severe and blinding conditions of the retina.
As we enter our last week on this trip, we thank God for this new beginning of retina training and eye care in the southern part of Zimbabwe. Patients in the future will no longer have to travel to the capital or to South Africa for their care.
We are once again grateful to Dr. Dennis Sibanda, Dr. Matthew West, Mrs. Debbie Hughes, and Ms. Danel Watermeyer for their sacrifice and selfless work to bring all that has happened to pass. We look forward to the next phase of training to give Dr. Gilbert Moyo the skills to both treat and pass along the difficult work of retina surgery here in Bulawayo.
Thank you for your continued support and prayers for us as we near the end of this time of service in Zimbabwe where such great need is all around us.
Steve and Jane Beaty
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