04-JAN-B-5

A POSITIVE NOTE REGARDING ETHIOPIA,

AND A SOMBER NOTE REGARDING SOMALILAND

From: Glenn Geelhoed

To: Jeremy Berman

Date: 1/21/04 3:46PM

Subject: Re: I promised!

Wonderful! Greetings back to Adam, and I will also relay them through his father!

I have the details of the fistula clinic and the woman doctor E. Catherine Hamlin, who was just awarded Honorary Fellowship in the ACS on the basis of the reports of her work. I will give you a copy of the article.

I have done VVF and RVF repairs often in Africa, particularly in the Horn, and have often also had to deal with the sequelae of female circumcision. Neither are pretty. But, I am not in this business to look good!

I just got your message as posted:

FYI...Here is a follow up message from Rick in response to my email to Rick regarding your trip to Ethiopia. He thought I should forward this along to you.

>jeremy,

>

>i'm in gondar right now. it's fine, sleepy, lovely, with the same duriyehs

>i've known for the past decade or longer. Yesterday was Timket.

>

>somaliland, however, is another kettle of fish. 6 foreigners have been

>murdered there in the past few months. Including at least 1 doctor.

>

>i would not go there. In fact, I was asked to go, and I told my sponsors

>that it's not a good idea. And I've been the personal physician to the

>Somaliland foreign minister in the past.

>

>You may want to pass this on.

>

>rick

>

>

>

Learn how to choose, serve, and enjoy wine at Wine @ MSN.

I have not worked anywhere yet that has been stable, since I am a veteran of the third world. So, we will see!

I will talk about Gonder as well with Rick, and would like to introduce you each to Emiru Hailu, and will copy his address above.

You can forward on to Rick the attachments I am adding below.

Cheers!

GWG

>>> Jeremy Berman <jberman@gwu.edu> 01/21/04 03:11PM >>>

Thanks for the email. I emailed Dr. Rick Hodes in Ethiopia to let him know that you are on your way. His email is rickhodes@hotmail.com. He actually runs a clinic up in Gondar and usually spends 1 week/month up there.

By the way, Adam Goldstein (son of Alan Goldstein) sends his regards. We met over in Ethiopia as we both spent time with Rick.

Also, I don't know if you have any extra time while you're in Addis, but there are two amazing clinics to check out. One is called Mother Theresa's Clinic (aka Missionaries of Charity) located in sidist kilo (near the university) which houses a few hundred patients and the HIV rate among them is upwards of 90%. They are in dire need of some help. Tuesdays and Saturdays are ouptatient days serving many homeless residents. Another clinic is the Fistula Clinic on the outskirts of the city. I have been only once, but it's worth checking out if you have time.

Have a great trip.

Exeber Yistalin (translation in amharic: "With God's will". You will hear this many times and it's worth learning),

Jeremy Berman

CC: emiruh@msn.com

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