The Mt. Pleasant Seventh-day Adventist Church in Harare, Zimbabwe, hosted a free surgical camp for people living with albinism at Southlea Hospital on August 29.
The camp was organized through the church's Possibility Ministries department, which partners with Southlea Hospital, the Global Cleft Foundation, and Noble Hands Zimbabwe Trust.
Specialized teams comprised of plastic surgeons, general surgeons, dermatologists, oral and maxillofacial surgeons, nurses, and consultant anesthetists were assisted by medical students from the University of Zimbabwe Seventh-day Adventist Association. Local Pathfinder club members guided patients through the venue.
The surgical camp opened with a hymn, prayer, and charge by William Marere, Southlea Hospital chaplain. Patients received gift bags containing Christian literature including The Desire of Ages, Steps to Christ, and The Ministry of Healing.
Patients moved through structured stations beginning with registration and vital signs. They then received a dermatological assessment for skin lesions indicating skin cancer. Patients with premalignant lesions received cryotherapy immediately. Patients with malignant or extensive lesions were referred to the surgical teams, who discussed each proposed procedure with the patient before operating.
Organizers reported that 84 people received care and no post-operation complications were reported.
At the end of the day, doctors, nurses, students, and volunteers reported on the day's activities during a debriefing session, and every volunteer said they wanted to assist at another free surgical camp.
Chibaya, a medical student who volunteered at the camp, said he "learned that patients are more than moving diagnoses of physical ailments." Speaking with patients about how their conditions shaped their daily lives "reminded me that human beings are holistic. Their emotional needs matter just as much as their physical ones, and understanding them will make me a better physician," he said.
The original article was published on the Southern Africa-Indian Ocean news site.
