SANA's team carried out its second medical/training mission today to Sheikh Zennad in collaboration with World Vision Akkar (www.worldvision.org.lb) as well as Sheikh Zennad's Local Committee.

 

SANA's team travelled into the heart of Akkar's valley and was met by Mrs. Jamileh Khalil Ibrahim and Mr. Ahmad Jahjah of World Vision Akkar and Ms. Safa' Alali of Sheikh Zennad.

As usual, the team started with an educational session and followed up on the progress of some of the patients seen on SANA's prior visit in November. The team was thrilled to hear of the healthy birth of 2 mothers. In addition, one of the patients who had been previously diagnosed by SANA's team to have severe anemia, was retested today, and was found to have had a significant improvement in response to the medical and dietary therapy initiated.

The team went on to transform our meeting room into a functional clinic and went on to evaluate some of our previously seen patients, in addition to several new ones. Of the patients seen today, 80% were on their fourth pregnancy (if not more), 40% had had prenatal care only with SANA's team, and 75% of the patients tested today had anemia. Follow up on previously scanned fetuses revealed appropriate fetal growth. Of the mothers seen today, 60% were in the third trimester, as a consequence much time was spent reviewing labor precautions and planning for delivery. 

Ms. Safa' Alali of Sheikh Zennad, who had shadowed SANA's team on the last visit, was actively participating today. She learned how to measure blood pressure and was intently following SANA's team and familiarizing herself with the glucometer and our hemoglobin/ hematocrit testers. She was also learning to identify key structures in the fetus on ultrasound: namely the skull, beating heart and placenta and was proving to be the perfect example for: "see one, do one, teach one"!

After a most rewarding day, all involved bid farewell and made plans for a subsequent visit to Sheikh Zennad in early 2012.

This, being the last outreach trip for SANA's team in 2011, was the perfect finale to a most promising start… SANA's team travelled back the sea-side road, reflecting on all the great lessons learned throughout the outreach missions of 2011, and feeling so hopeful about a more fruitful tomorrow and more and more giving in the upcoming New Year...