Designed & created by
Gavin Wright
Terms & Conditions 30 Smilie Road, Peterlee, Co.Durham, England. SR8 4AN e-mail
I am always pleased when people tell us of their efforts to increase patient safety in other parts of the world. Especially when it is Africa as this place is close to my own heart. I have ran stories from South Africa on several occasions. You may remember Ken Cookson and his donation of safe patient moving and handling equipment to Zimbabwe. I also told you about Dr. John Cashman, an orthopaedic surgeon who set up a physio clinic in Malawi a couple of years ago. Then there was the conference in the United Arab Emirates dealing with low back pain.
Azeb at work
Not all of it has been positive. I mentioned the medicine that was supposed to cure back pain permanently which was made from a bitter concoction of herbs and local plants in Nigeria.
I am please to say though that this latest Africa story is very positive. It takes place in a country from where we rarely hear good news. The media like to portray the negative more than the positive. Not here though.
Gill Brook is a physio from Bradford Royal Infirmary. She is
a member of an international women's health physiotherapy organisation, and is currently supporting a physiotherapist named Azeb in Ethiopia. This is mainly around her women's health physiotherapy work, but Azeb is also involved in manual handling training for other staff. She works in Addis Ababa, and to the best of her knowledge none of the other hospitals do any such training. Azeb visited Bradford in 2008, when she spent an afternoon with Sue Barton, and went home armed with many ideas and literature on manual handling training.
Gill visited Azeb this month at the Addis Ababa Hamlin Fistula Hospital. Azeb is responsible for the moving and handling training for all Hamlin staff. On Gill’s recent visit, she took out a patslide (as well as my DVD) and undertook some training with the Addis Ababa ward and operating theatre staff. The hospital undertakes surgery on women who have experienced severe injuries during childbirth, resulting in complete urinary (and sometimes faecal) incontinence. The organisation and the work they do is truly inspirational and life changing, and donations are very welcome. Contact Gill via the comments form on this page or go direct to the Hamlin Fistula web site below if you want to know more.
