Blog Dec 25, 2017

Christmas has passed and the grandkids all had fun opening their presents.   Christmas is somewhat low key here in Chad.  New Year's is the main holiday.  But it is getting "cold" down in the low 60's.  
This past weekend has been busy with maternity cases.  The doctors at the other hospitals in Lai and Kelo apparently were not working even though there are a lot more of them than of us.  I think there are about 6 doctors in each place government hospitals but they are on salary and no incentive to work  and are not mission oriented.  We had 7 c-sections this past week about equal from each place with one being our patient from before.   Two were for ruptured uterus, one abruptio placenta with severe bleeding, one for placenta previa with severe bleeding, one for ecclampsia and baby with severe hydrocephalus, one for severe small baby but good baby, and one for prolonged labor but got here too late and baby died after delivery.   So not a good weekend with only one good baby out of those.  
We have had a lot of prostatectomies and urethral strictures and bladder stones this past two weeks.  Overall business at the hospital has increased a lot this past month with a lot of hernias being done and various other things as well.  We have had two large psoas abcesses  that we drained.  We reduced a dislocation of a jaw.  A boy fell from a mango tree and has two broken arms.  A drunk lady  had an accident on a motorcycle and had an open fracture tibia-fibula which I could have fixed easily with a SIGN nail (an intramedullary rod system that does not require an x-ray to do) but the family took her apparently as usual to the local "traditional healer" (witch doctor) by morning so she probably will lose her leg.  
Greg Shank M.D. was here the past 3 weeks.  He is a surgeon from Lakeside, Ore that has spent 5 years previously in Koza, Cameroon so he knows the language and ways of this part of the world.  He has been a great help so I could do some other things.   Christian Stoletnly M.D. our surgeon from Argentina is really stepping in and doing well.  I still help on some of the bigger cases and my "experienced fingers" still help some in diagnosis.  I have been working some in getting a house ready for a new doctor that is coming.   Getting the house ready means doing electrician and plumbing work and directing some other work being done.  Sara Balensky M.D. a family practice with 1 year OB fellowship will be arriving next week.   She has been in France for language school the past 3 months.  
We trust everyone had a wonderful Christmas and remembering the real reason.  Surely Jesus is returning soon as  you see all the events that are transpiring.   May the New Year bring joy and happiness to all and closer to Jesus and to each other..
Our emails are drbland42@gmail.com and dfbland01@gmail.com.  
Love,

Rollin and  Dolores Bland 
Hopital Adventiste de Bere
Boite Postal 52
Kelo, Tandjile,  Chad,  Afrique