RadMagazine

Radiology equipment company Future Medical Equipment wanted to help charity Mercy Ships and found the ideal solution upon learning that a GE LightSpeed VCT Pro32 CT scanner onboard the vessel Africa Mercy could not perform 3D volume rendering.

Procurement director Leon Parsons explained: “Here at Future Medical we purchase used diagnostic imaging equipment so we were able to donate a 3D workstation for the GE LightSpeed VCT, which would provide vital support to radiology staff onboard Africa Mercy. We were delighted to help and enable this incredible charity to provide life-changing medical care in places where there is basic, or no, surgical provision.”

Senior radiology technologist and hospital support services manager on Africa Mercy Martha Henderson said: “The introduction of the 3D Advantage Workstation has enabled greater visualisation of the complex cases that we encounter onboard. The 3D images are sent to the PACS server so that they can be viewed throughout the entire hospital. Surgeons onboard can use the images as part of pre-operative assessment and planning.

The one with the 100,000th

The Hospital Support Services team celebrate the 100,000th surgical procedure on the Africa Mercy.

“After 40 years dedicated to following the model of Jesus by bringing hope and healing, today we celebrate a milestone that you are an important part of: The 100,000^th surgical procedure! Over all of these years and procedures, the common theme in every volunteer, is a desire to share heart and hands, giving so much of yourself to patients—all to demonstrate love to people whom you’ve never met before.

Only hours ago, a volunteer carried baby Aissata, a sweet 7 month old little girl, into the operating room. Another one made sure the anesthesia and instruments were in order. Still another made an incision and more will care for them for days to come.  Other crewmembers will prepare their meals with love, and the technical crew will keep it all running. All over the ship, volunteers are praying and thanking our wonderful God for the privilege of serving. Many hands and hearts are involved in every journey to hope and healing and her brand new smile will live in each one of them—this is the legacy that you’ve helped to create. God has allowed us to be a part of His amazing plan. I am grateful and humbled to be on this journey together. Celebrating your service…recognizing the 100,000 surgical procedures done—and trusting God for 100,000 more to come!”

With Gratitude,

Every patient that is treated, is a cause to rejoice. Every one. Every life that is affected by the Surgical team onboard. However, it does seem right to mark this milestone. To rejoice in the goodness of God, who continues to be with us, with this organisation as we aim to bring surgical care to those who have limited access. It does feel important to acknowledge, that we were here in Conakry, Guinea, marking this 100,000th procedure. I count it such a privilege to have heard Dr Brian, pray over our PA system for little Aissata. For all the patients that we have treated. But more, also praying for patient number 100,001 and all those yet to come. I will remember this day. Taking a moment to stop during the busyness – to stop and remember all the patients we have treated.

The bakers celebrate the 100,000th surgical procedure on the Africa Mercy.

The Hospitality team celebrate the 100,000th surgical procedure on the Africa Mercy.

Sailing from Guinea. Almost.

Up on Deck 8 – Conakry Port

At the end of May, I will fly back to Scotland. I will end my 2 year commitment, and leave the Africa Mercy before she finishes her 10 month field service in Conakry. I longed to sail away from this port in June. To have the natural goodbye of leaving this country. Standing on Deck 8 waving – waving goodbye to this life, to this country. Maybe it was nostalgic. Maybe I thought it would be easier to say goodbye if I saw the mooring lines cast off from the dock. Maybe I thought 5 days being at sea would solve my heartbreak at leaving. There are so many maybes and unanswered thoughts and feelings, but I cannot let them guide my next move. I will take the flight, and I will be the one leaving.

Aft mooring station

That’s why these last few days have been such a blessing. Really such a gift. We’ve been in the same berth for 9 months, and there is a requirement for the port to be dredged. We have had such favour with the dredging company and they toured the ship with our Captain. They were so kind and flexible, and didn’t want to disrupt our Surgeries, however we needed to move. On Friday itwas just a 100m or so up the quay, however today the plan was to move out into the harbour for 4 hours while the dredging was done. Instead we just moved a little, stayed out in the harbour a bit, and later were able to partially connect up to the dock space. At the moment all crew are onboard, while we wait for final clearance from the Port Authority to go back to our original space. So as I reflect on these movements, I’m grateful for the flexibility our crew, especially the Technical Crew who have been ready at short notice to move or adjust lines.

I feel content, knowing that I’ve had this moment of ‘sailing’. I know its not a real sail, we didn’t even left the breakwater, yet something within me – is content. I felt the engines shake deck 3, I heard the familiar sound of them kicking in, the gangway was lifted up. It was almost like the first few moments, of a birds discovery of flight. The preparation for what is next. Its almost like closure, not quite, but I had the privilege of standing on deck 8 and watching the water being churned by the ship. In a way it was a comfort. Knowing that this work will continue without me. of course it will. I just had the privilege to be a part of it for this season. So long Guinea. For now. Little did I know, that when I left in 2013, I would be here again 6 years later. Thats the funny thing about saying ‘goodbye’ within the Mercy Ships world. It never feels like a true goodbye. But good-bye for now.

Radiology on two ships: Hospital Inservice

Tonight I had the privilege to present at the Hospital Inservice with Jenni. Usually every Wednesday night during the 10 month field service, there is a Hospital inservice. There is a sign in sheet, so we can collect a certificate which can be used as CPD evidence when we leave the ship. Sometimes topics covered can be Maxillofacial Surgery by Dr Gary, Goitre removal or reconstructive surgery, sometimes a surgeon will share about working in the Middle East, sometimes its even about managing stress when we see challenging cases in the Hospital. Well tonight, it was Radiology. To be honest, I was very nervous as I thought who wants to hear what I do everyday – however Jenni worked as a Rad Tech on the USNS Mercy, the US Government Military Hospital Ship – So we decided to talk about our experiences doing our jobs on a hospital ship. ‘Radiology on two ships’ The USNS Mercy is almost double the size of the Africa Mercy and while they are both Hospital Ships – they do function quite differently. The Mercy has around 15 Wards, 12 OR’s and a thousand crew. They sail into countries and are usually there for around 3 weeks performing surgeries on patients who have been pre-selected. Jenni shared how there were similarities in terms of getting meals in the galley, using the gym in the evenings, however her ‘cabin’ had 150 beds, and the bunks were 3 high! They were very restricted on shore leave, had to respect military regulations and a daily muster at 08:00. The Radiology department is also quite different. Yes they have a CT scanner, general X-ray and Ultrasound like us, but they have much more of a imaging focus in their OR’s with 5 full size c-arms and many portable x-rays to cover their wards. They also have onboard Radiologists who report their cases immediately. It was really interesting to hear and helped me to understand Radiology on a larger scale. We too have bought a new full size c-arm and so it excites me to hear how we can learn from them. I have also learned that you do not have to be American to serve on either the USNS Mercy or Comfort as I previously thought. Therefore I can dream that one day, maybe that will happen.. My section about the Africa Mercy, then talked about each Surgical Speciality that we offer onboard – and gave an example where Radiology was involved. Its very easy for Orthopaedics to say we X-ray pre-op and post op to check healing, but also all the CT’s required for the complex head and neck surgeries that are performed. Even the Urology type scans we do to look at ureters and bladder pathology. Radiology does indeed guide our decision making.

I count it such a privilege being involved in so many of our patients lives and the words from this mornings devotional resonate with me. My testimony of being in a position of service, the gratefulness I felt, that it may be like incense to God. That my prayer would be, would He continue to use me in ways I cannot imagine.

“Let my prayer be set before You as incense, The lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice” Psalm 141:2

Re-entry. Returning May 26. Intermissionary

I guess its official now, seeing as I’ve received my departure notice. May 26th I will leave the Africa Mercy and return to Scotland. 2 years with Mercy Ships feels like a moment. 2 years, and here I am, on the brink of packing up life here and attempting to….. attempting to what exactly. I’m not sure. Attempting to leave a life I love, attempting to consider what life in Scotland will look like, attempting to understand how cold I will feel, attempting to understand what it will be like to be able to communicate with my patients in English. Attempting to understand what free healthcare is like again. Attempting to understand that things do not cost a few Guinea Francs on the street. Attempting to be separated from friends and colleagues who are family. I really don’t know what I’m attempting actually.

“The assumption that global workers are ‘just relieved to be home,’ is overly-simplistic & alienating. Many are ill-equipped, depressed, floundering & lonely, with nobody around who really gets why. They’ve left people, cultures & work they love & some quietly wonder if they’ve left their identity behind as well” Erin Kirk – Intermissionary President & Founder

Intermissionary is an organisation that supports missionaries and global workers. They are particularly focused on those who ‘return home’ after their time working overseas. They return incredibly uncertain of their role and why they have left the work they love. Unable to see ‘home’ in the same way anymore. Many times missionaries are supported with great fanfare before they set off, but then after a period of time they return home. Feeling completely alone and lost at sea. Unsure of who they are anymore, and how life in the ‘west’ can really feel enough anymore.

Starting tomorrow, I will follow the 28 Day re-entry plan which has incredibly just been launched by Intermissionary, and is perfectly timed to co-inside with me returning to Scotland. I will aim to be honest, and try to lean on their prompting questions to explain a little of the life I live here, and how it has changed me. How it has affected me. How in 2 years, well, alot changes really.

Orange money

Over Easter a few close friends and I will head a few hours of out Conakry and head to the the beach. I’m really looking forward to taking a few days out all together. Along with French speaking colleagues onboard, As normal practice, she wanted us to pay some money up front. She said ‘send it via orange money’ So just after work, I walked out with Yo to the Orange stand. I practiced my French on the walk out, and attempted ‘Je vex faire un dépôt avec Orange money’ to the lady at the kiosk. Gosh, my spoken French hasn’t improved much. She laughed at me, but asked for the number and the amount. She sent a transaction on her phone, and that was it. She said to call Joelle at the hotel to check it had been received. Voila. Within a few minutes she had received the 500,000 Guinea Francs. Around $50.

Orange money is how Mercy Ships pays all our local day crew. The money goes into their personal Orange money account, so they can go to a stand to withdraw the cash. All the transactions are done, not on smart phones, but the types of phones you can only text and call on! You usually have to pay a small transaction few of a few Guinea Francs, but this is really user friendly way to transfer money. Even if you are in a store, and don’t have physical money on you, you can use your phone to transfer the money out of your account, and into the account of the guy at the shop. This is a very cash orientated environment, so its interesting to see this is how money transfers work. Particularly in a place where having bank account is not the norm. Mobile reception infrastructure has also been invested in, making this a realistic way of doing banking and payments. These little kiosks are all over town, and now I have learnt another aspect of living here in Conakry.

Rad-Aid ‘Hi from a hospital Ship’

Week one of my post grad certificate, was a chance for the online class to introduce themselves, and share some of their passions, and why they have started this course. I found it very helpful to have the time to document why I’m so thrilled to be part of this programme, what it means to me, but more importantly – how I feel my views on overseas medical work, and particularly global Radiology – are developing from my experiences. So here’s a little of my story.

“Hello, Im so grateful for the chance to be a part of this course and to learn from you all. Im a Radiographer from Scotland, currently volunteering on a hospital ship – MV Africa Mercy – running the Radiology department onboard. Our ship has been docked in Conakry, Guinea for the last 9 months. I first started with Mercy Ships back in 2012 as a short term volunteer, served multiple times over the years whilst working in Scotland. I completed my PG cert in CT in 2016, before starting a 2 year commitment as the Radiology Lead in 2017. We have a GE CT, Ultrasound, OPG, CBT and CR Radiography. There is no Radiologist onboard, and we use Tele-Radiology to partner with Radiologists in Canada.

We offer free surgical procedures: Plastic Reconstructive, General, Orthopaedics, VVF surgery, ENT and Maxillofacial. As an organisation we talk a lot about the Lancet commission, the Global burden of disease and the outcome that almost 5 billion people do not have access to safe, affordable and timely surgical care. As I represent Radiology, I think a lot about the role imaging plays in access to surgical care. As a ship we take with us functioning equipment and a Radiology infrastructure that allows us to receive formal Radiology reports. However many of the patients we see do not have access to the first step of treatment – which is of course the diagnosis. We treat alot of head/neck pathology and the majority of these patients have OPG’s or contrast CT’s onboard the ship for surgical planning. There may be a Surgeon ashore who can do the surgery, however if they require an OPG first to assess surgical margins – and the OPG equipment isn’t working in a clinic that the patient can reach or even pay for – then our patients fall at the first hurdle. This is why I’m really passionate about increasing my knowledge and advocating for Radiology as a key player in the discussion of ‘access to care’ 

I worked in Guinea back in 2013 and returning in 2018, there has been improvement and investment in facilities. No longer are we the ship bringing the only CT scanner to a country, as was the case several years ago – only last month, we took one of our patients to a local 1.5T MRI scanner, that opened early 2019. It was a real joy to interact with the Radiologist there. As NGO’s grow in terms of Mentorship and Sustainability, I’m thrilled to undertake this course to learn how best to do this. Thats why I particularly liked the section in the textbook where it says ‘learn first, act second’. After spending almost 3 years working onboard, and interacting with a wide variety of patients with severe pathology – I’m hoping to be more useful“

Church News: Crew Profile

This month I was featured in the Mercy Ships Church Newsletter under the Crew Profile section. It was such a privilege to be interviewed and able to share about serving on board.

Why did you volunteer with Mercy Ships?
The Bible says in Isaiah 61 that we are sent to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives. For me, volunteering for Mercy Ships is about offering our skills and experience to help. Having worked in the NHS, I understand the basic right to free healthcare, regardless of where you live. Globally five billion people don’t have access to safe surgical care. Mercy Ships also contribute by training medical staff and mentoring surgeons.

How did you first hear about Mercy Ships? 
At Frenzy, a Christian music conference. I always wanted to work in medical missions overseas, but thought you had to be a doctor or nurse. When I told them I was a radiographer, the lady at the table said “we need YOU!” At that moment I knew where my life would eventually lead.  Everything I have done since first discovering Mercy Ships in 2006 has been in preparation to come and serve onboard long-term.

A moment that has impacted you?
I will always remember Mariatou. She was a patient who I met while onboard in Guinea in 2013. Noma is a gangrenous infection which destroys facial tissue. Mariatou had lost her nose to this infection. Normally, at home, it would have been treated by antibiotics, but she didn’t have access to a doctor. Dr Gary Parker was able to operate and create her a new nose from a skin graft. It was such a remarkable transformation!

What is it like to live onboard the Africa Mercy?
I grew up in a small town, where you know everyone so it feels very much like home for me. I really like being part of an international community where everyone brings different stories and traditions. You get to know people very quickly.

How can we be praying for you?
Professionally – Based on the CT scans, sometimes the patients are told, “No, we cannot help you, we cannot offer you surgery”, or “the condition you have is incurable”. Patients then receive pastoral support, but it can still be very hard for the Radiographers onboard. Personally – please pray I would continue to lead the Radiology team well – to provide Diagnostic Images that assist the Surgeons in their pre-op planning.

Fire Drill ‘victim’

Lying on the floor of the hospital conference room, unable to see clearly due to the smoke that filled the room, hearing as if from distant land, the commands from the bridge come through on a portable radio. FOB deck 3. My other senses heightened due to sight being removed. Trying not to move my limbs, I squinted for a moment to see a head torch sneaking through the smoke and between the heavy gasps of o2 from the breathing regulator, a voice called with urgency ‘ hello, can you hear me? can you move?’

Hospital conference room

This is a drill. This is a drill. This is a drill.

Every 2 weeks, we have a fire drill onboard. This is a maritime regulation which allows us to practice our responses, so that if an incident happens we know what to do. The fire team will train in rapid responses and technique in fire fighting and extraction of casualties. Today I was asked by one of the officers to be a victim along with my friend George. As the room filled up with fake smoke, I lay on the floor, George slumped over the keyboard and we waited for the alarm and the teams to arrive. You really couldn’t see anything. One of team found me in the darkened room, then shouted ‘I’ve found a casualty’. While another shouted “I’ve found a second casualty” What concerned me, is that I have spent time in that meeting room every week for almost 18 months. Yet in that smoke, it was so disorientating. I couldn’t recognise which way the fire team were carrying me, where the door was, where the exit was, I fought every urge not to be helpful to the guys in full firefighting kit. I wanted to sit up, but had to be unresponsive. I was placed in a stretcher and carried down the hall to the EMT waiting to receive the casualties. Lying on the floor, feeling the team connect me to an o2 sats monitor, hear their conversation about what had happened, and their plan of action – well its a sensation I cannot describe. As they went through the drill that I had a cardiac arrest, requesting extra supplies. Jonas, a friend of mine adding to the storyline: I know her wishes, she is a DNA CPR. Feeling the puffs of air on my face from the bag mask and the pretend chest compressions as they fought to save me.

It was the strangest feeling, to be part of a training exercise and to be “treated” by colleagues and friends: People who have become my family onboard. To know that we are all here, to work towards the same vision of bringing surgical care to our patients. It really is a privilege to work in this hospital, which just so happens to also be a ship.

Radio Silence

Radio silence onboard a ship is never a comforting one. It brings omens of ill thoughts. Of struggle. Of death. Of trouble. Sometimes I think my lack of communication and writing means trouble.

Yet. This radio silence doesn’t indicate the same. It is not a silence which indicates trouble. Rather, its a silence of ease. It is a silence, because I am at ease. At ease of my life here. At ease of how I spend my time. At ease when I answer emails, or scan patients, or have meetings about our Craniofacial programme. At ease that I put on Blue mercy ships scrubs every day. Knowing the value in how I spend my days.  Sometimes it is hard to write about this life. Because it feels so normal. It feels like so much is going well, therefore I do not need to communicate. No news is good news in this unique circumstance. The good news, and the hope and understanding that comes with living the life that has been intended for me. Im grateful for this opportunity to spend my days like this. To be supported by you all, to wake up every morning and head down to Deck 3 and into a world – where our patients come first.