Blog

SUBJECT: Report of the mission at Fort Portal – Uganda from 02 November to16 December 2019. #LET’S GET TO 1000

GENERAL INFORMATION

This last mission is a turning point as for Cute Project Onlus and its growth. In fact it is the twelfth mission of our Onlus since its birth in 2012, but above all this mission let us get over 1000 patients treated. #LET’S GET TO 1000 is a real hashtag, an objective hidden in years of voluntary work for this project.

The project intented to continue to respond to the demand of training and health assistance in plastic surgery regarding in particular burns and their outcomes, as per a specific request from Dr. Charles Olaro,  General Director of Referral General Hospital of Fort Portal in  2016 and renewed by the new  General Director  Florence Tugumisirize.

Cute Project Onlus has already carried out four missions at Fort Portal, in 2015, 2016, 2017and 2018.

Cute Project Onlus, with the help of Waldensian Church, has planned and fulfilled the new mission of this year with the aim of continuing providing free theoretical and practical training to the local staff in the field of reconstructive plastic surgery; we still had our 5 training objectives addressed to local staff, which were to be fulfilled in this mission:Surgery in operatory room (with 3 posts , two for  general anesthesia and one for local anesthesia) Activities in ward together with local medical staff. Management of medications for severe burns and post-surgery patients. Classes for local staff. Making of pressure garments for the treatment of scars. The project Uganda 2019 by Cute Project Onlus has developed  through the training of local personnel  who have carried on the treatments and medications after departure of our mission and will continue to sort out the patients for our next mission in 2020.The group Cute Project  Bruno De Benedetti have worked very well throughout the whole year so that we have decided to renew our support not only to Dr. Edris Kalanzi and nurse  Proscovia Nakulenge but also to nurse  Doreen Uwera, who have been particularly distinctive in their commitment for the   fulfilment of the mission and above all  in carrying on a project for the medications to patients as well as for the making of pressure garments  beneficial in  scars from burns. In this mission Cute Project Onlus team was composed of:

– Dr. Daniele Bollero – Plastic  Surgeon and Mission Responsible  (ITALY) 

– Dr. Alessandro Innocenti – Plastic Surgeon (ITALY)

– Dr. Edris Kalanzi – Plastic Surgeon (UGANDA)

– Dr. Mosaab Zaidi – Plastic Surgeon (LIBIA)  

– Dr.ssa  Ivana Hrdlikova – Pediatrician  Surgeon (SLOVENIA)

– Dr.ssa Patricia Visconti – Anesthetist (ITALY)

– Dr. Luca Sivera –Anesthetist (ITALY)

– Dr.ssa Silvia Berutti– Nephrologist (ITALY)

– Loredana Silivestro – Instrumentalist  Nurse (ITALY)

–  Margherita Deideri –  Instrumentalist  Nurse (ITALY)

– Dorina Caldarescu –Professional Nurse (ROMANIA)

– Jennifer Blenkisop – Occupational Physiotherapist (SOUTH AFRICA)

Cute Project has bought and provided the health materials necessary for the fulfilment of the surgery mission. All the materials, which reached the place of the mission three weeks before the arrival of the team, were packed in 6 boxes and organized in 4 platforms for a total weight of 700 kg. Most of the materials have been used and left on site to allow the follow-up assistance of the patients treated surgically except for  two boxes of technical material which have been re-imported (surgical and specific equipment).

We want to highlight the collaboration of FORT PORTAL REGIONAL REFERRAL HOSPITAL which has contributed actively to the mission, providing freely, to the whole team:

• Tranfer to/from Entebbe Airport
• Lunches at hospital
• Saline solution for all surgery

SURGICAL ACTIVITIES

We had  8 days of surgery out of 10 days of staying, on 126 patients and 141 surgery operations  (57 males and 69 females). Their average age was 28. The pathologies treated were:

• Pathological Scars post burn 13
• Severe Burns 11
• Trauma 3
• Hand and Foot Malformations (syndactylies and supernumerary fingers) 3
• Various Subcutaneous Neoplasms  50
• Cheloids 36
• Abdominal Hernia with diastasis of rectus abdominis 1
• Thyroid Adenoma 9

All surgery has been carried out under general anesthesia, selective with or without anesthetic, locoregional and under local anesthesia, medications of burns at the patient’s bed or under light anesthesia.

DEMOGRAPHIC STATISTICS
Cute Project’s missions create a movement of people as for medical and surgical procedures.

66% of patients of this mission came from Fort Portal, the town which has hosted this project since the beginning.

34% came from other towns at different distances

ASSISTANCE ACTIVITIES

We have carried out more than 200 examinations. Patients who did not have any surgical assistance or didn’t need any, had the medical treatments needed.

Cute Project Onlus has donated to the hospital all the material needed for medications (creams,bandages, vaseline bandages, disinfectants,  dressings of different sizes, extensible patch), various medecines and ATB, drugs for anesthesia.

TRAINING ACTIVITIES

The surgery activities have been an opportunity to involve the local medical staff and nurses according to their skills.  The project has continued to be aimed at having the operatory room team participate actively.

Over the last  four years, we focused on the role of medications and we noticed a significant improvement in the patients’ management in ward, with appropriate medications and scars ready to be healed thanks to the active role of our operational responsible, nurse Proscovia Nakulege.

This year we  have also held classes for medical school students of the local university.

Lessons were as follows:

Burns –  Scars –  Cheloids – Physiotherapy and Scars – Labiopalatoschisis

Another important training activity is the making of pressure garments for patients with burns. Our Southafrican Physiotherapist has worked helped by selected local personnel.

Jennifer Blenkisop has treated 28 patients (20 females and  8 males), making 41 pressure garments and 17 thermoplastic positional splints.

During the mission a progressive autonomy process by local personnel has been developed

MISSION COSTS IN EURO

Health equipment                                                                            € 610,00

Purchase of Health  Materials                                                       € 14.113,00

Transport of materials  A/R                                                           € 11.500,00

Customs taxes                                                                                  € 2.890,00

Tickets and insurance for the team, visas                                   € 9.666,00

Certificates for  the  local Medical Association                          €     804,00

Local transport of materials and team                                        €         0,00

Local preparation costs                                                                  €     127,00

Accomodation                                                                                 € 12.625,00

MISSION TOTAL COSTS

€ 52.207,00

CREDITS

In addition to the help of Waldensian Church,  many other institutions and associations have helped us to carry out our project.

INSTITUTIONS

Ordine medici chirurghi e odontoiatri della Provincia di Torino

Consorzio ONG, Piemonte

Ambasciata Italiana in Uganda

SOS – Salute e Sviluppo Onlus

Consorzio Spera

Flying Angels

SUPPORTERS

Notaio Dott. Francesca Ballatore

Commercialista Dott. Maria Luisa Daddio

Andrea Lancillotti

Torino Spettacoli – Teatro Stabile Privato

Liceo Coreutico e Teatrale – Germana Erba

Bomboogie

New wave di Maria Mediati

Mirella Bongiovanni

Maurizio Dreosti

Domenico Massasso – Ristorante Ischiaponte – Torino

Università terza età – Rivarolo

Mario Parziale e Phillip Reagan Zikussoka

L’Olandese Volante – Agenzia Viaggi – Rivarolo c.se

Tarval Logi,tica

Sdc3 di Marchisio L.

Gruppo Vergero – Agricoltura, Industria e Ambiente

Costadoro caffè

Revee

Monfort in jazz

Noreen Davern

We thank all the people who anonymously and/or spontaneously have supported us and still believe in our project.