On January 14, 2022, Drs. Kathleen Norton (OB/GYN), Tom Strawmier (Family Practice NP) and Coleen Stice (Plastic Surgery) traveled to Lomé, Togo. They represented Global Partners in Hope as a team sent to exchange medical knowledge and provide lectures for the University of Togo’s Midwives, Obstetricians, and Surgical residents. The team presented “Prenatal Exams,” “Postpartum Bleeding,” “Neonatal Resuscitation,” “Basic Life Support,” “First Responder Rescue,” “Wound Healing Principles,” and “Burn Management.” The program was attended by a number of students to further their emergency medicine education relating to childbirth and burns.
The team also traveled to Agbelouve, the location GPiH’s newest health center where they spent three days lecturing and performing “hands on training” to the surrounding clinicians in the area. 15 individuals attended the symposium in addition to the health center staff. Rescue and resuscitation bags were provided to the surrounding clinicians and colleagial relationships were formed. The team also visited the new water well recently built and watched as the families joyfully carried home fresh, clean water.
Further medical teams were invited back both to the University (where strong colleagial bonds were formed) and to the health center where the staff and surrounding clinicians are anxious to further the medical relationships created.