Pauline Anthony is a 53 year old GP from the UK. As a Disaster Assistance Response Team volunteer, Pauline was recently deployed to Bangladesh to assist with the work at the Memorial Christian Hospital, where Samaritan’s Purse medical personnel are caring for Rohingya Muslims fleeing from violence in Myanmar, in desperate need of treatment. Pauline wrote about some of her experiences serving at the hospital:

Blog 1

The things these people have experienced and the injuries these people have received, it’s amazing that they are still alive. Supply is very short in the operating room which is difficult but suffering of these people is greater…I cannot imagine. The surgeons here are excellent, God is good!

Some of the staff at the Memorial Christian Hospital in Bangladesh.

The Memorial Christian Hospital is well organised and I am impressed with the knowledge, skills and the manner in which the medical staff conduct their work. Everyone has been welcoming, helpful and patient with our attempts at learning how things are done here. The senior staff and medics are usually very busy with both the numbers patients and severity of injuries and illness and seem grateful for the extra manpower; hindered though, as we are by inexperience and language. It’s amazing what can be achieved when people who barely know each other can humbly work together for the benefit of others, with God’s grace. How small I am and how big and gracious God is!

Blog 2

A Rohingya mother comforts her child.

Today I was very happy.

I was able to discharge two patients who had been very sick. A young man with Elephantiasis that had been rushed to us in shock from Dengue Haemorraghic Fever. The other, a lady with known severe Rheumatic Heart Disease who came in basically in multi organ failure.

We have not been able to cure their chronic debilitating illnesses, but hopefully showed then they are loved and valued. Across the hospital though there were two deaths, both very hard for the staff involved with them. So many mixed emotions, but God is with us through it all.

Blog 3

Today has been a full-on day.

I got to discharge a patient who was admitted last week, in septic shock. He needed 11 litres of fluid before we could get a recordable blood pressure. Grateful to God for enabling us to treat him successfully.

Then went to the Respiratory Care Unit to help with one the patients needing his vacuum dressing removed, I then put the final stitches in to close his wound, a healing process that has taken two weeks.

Then to Outpatient Department [OPD] to visit and treat a couple of my patients. I briefly helped the medics who were resuscitating a young man, until someone else arrived, so I could go to the Operating Room, where I was assisting with a Caesarian section.

Samaritan’s Purse is providing life-saving operations for patients.

Back to OPD to see a couple more patients before a quick lunch of rice, dhal and fish and then some rest. After a quick shower and a change, I’m back in the hospital. A couple more visits to the Outpatient Department and Respiratory Care Unit before one of the surgeons found me and asked if I could help treat a young man in a diabetic coma. We started supplying him with fluids and planning his treatment. I will return later tonight to check on him. Praying God will give me wisdom to treat him effectively.