Two physicians of the Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery at Semmelweis University are members of the volunteer medical team of the African-Hungarian Union in Malawi: Dr. Gábor Polony senior lecturer and Dr. Gábor Forgács resident doctor. The special volunteer medical team, supported by the Clinical Centre, plans to carry out 40-50 otorhinolaryngological operations in the African country during the period of May 12-29 and to donate medicine, surgical dressings as well as other medical equipment.
As Dr. Polony highlighted, even though Malawi has more than 16 million inhabitants, there is only one otorhinolaryngologist and a few resident doctors who are working there. The medical equipment is of very poor quality, the hygienic circumstances are extremely bad, and there is a great need for help. As Dr. Polony informed us, during the previous missions organized by the African-Hungarian Union so far the major focus was on general medical examinations, and this current occasion is the second special mission during which operations are carried out as well. The Semmelweis members of the volunteer medical team, together with their colleagues from Pécs, are parallelly operating patients every day starting from 8:00 in the morning until late afternoon. Therefore, they intend to treat an approximate number of 40-50 patients during the two-week time of the mission.
“We carry out otorhinolaryngological operations in such an African country, where the majority of patients are presumably in an advanced stage of a disease due to the low-quality of health care. Furthermore, almost 1 million people in that region are HIV positive.”, Dr. Polony said.
As Dr. Forgács emphasized, the most important motivation factors of such a mission is that they can use their knowledge, provide help for people in need and useful information to the locals. He said that they were taking two pieces of luggage with themselves from Hungary: one of these is for their own belongings and the other is for donations, surgical dressings, antibiotics, haemostats, anaesthetics, rubber gloves and surgical equipment. According to their plans they are also visiting an orphanage and are distributing toys and clothes for children.
Tímea Kele
Photo: Zoltán Adrián
Translated by: Katalin Romhányi
