06-MAR-A-1

THE MEDICAL MISSION TO RWANDA

1. Index to the 06-MAR-A-series on the Rwanda Medical Mission
2. Pre-trip Prep and Packing Party leading toward team takeoff.
3. An overture regarding a potential medical mission to Armenia from a GWUMC student.
4. The arrangements made for our royal reception in Rwanda .
5. Launch the “ Mission to Rwanda-06” from Derwood to Dulles, gathering the gang and extensive baggage checked through to Kigali and takeoff: through long layovers in Amsterdam and Nairobi for Kigali, Rwanda —with a team of very buzzed participants and excited Rwandan reception.
6. Exchange with Michael Marquardt and Millie Mateu regarding the phenomenology of dissertation.
7. Preparation for exchange of plaques and medals for reception with the Rwandan president and dignitaries.
8. The launch of the Rwandan medical mission in Kigali Rwanda , complete with   the first full day of clinic operations in the Methodist school and new clinic complex, and the team’s patient presentations in a full nocturnal rain storm of the opening of rainy season
9. Second full and exhausting day in Clinic with all the medical MAP packs still hostaged in the Kigali Customs at the airport, now by Rwandan Bureau of Standards, despite clinic visits and tours by the Minister of Health of Rwanda and the Commandant of the Rwandan Army, as I give full lecture to the indigenous team along with our own group with the simultaneous translation offered in French by Virginia, and another full didactic evening of case presentations.
10. Rainy day face-saving “resolution” of the pharmaceutical impasse with a visit by the Ministry of Licensing and the re-writing of all prescriptions for the Ministry Health Center payment and back-filling by our continuing relationship; then a return to Hotel Kastel, and a shopping trip for tailoring of a Rwandan traditional dress, and a visit with the GM of the Hotel des Milles Colinnes, before our wrap-up of Kigali clinic cases in preparation for morning departure for part of group with videographers to Mayange and the MVP and continuing on to Gisenyi for the next four days clinic set up there.
11. The packing up and checking out and long drive to Gisenyi through Ruhengere to Lake Kivu;  we stop to see our Clinic and check in to the Hotel Umbewe, lunch and then I do the Medical Diplomatique clearance of our work at the clinic: finally released to work with our limited drug stock, we give out a hundred scripts and have the videography team photo shoot of our operations before a dinner meeting and testimonial from the group on frustrations and joys.
12. A very long full day, with our smaller team driving the long return to Kigali, an Airport stop for another run at the MAP pack impasse, again allegedly cleared, and on to Mayange: Tour the Millennium Village Project, and see water catchment project in famine starvation period as I do video interview at Health Center, giddy return in rainstorm down “Good Road” to Kigali, and hassle another three hour airport wait in incomplete retrieval of two-thirds of MAP packs returning in the dark to Gisenyi after midnight.
13. Sunday morning division of church-goers and a tour of a Rehab Center for genocide massacre amputees, and road-side “entropy industry” rock-smashers, and a visit to Lake Kivu and the Hot Springs at fishing village before combined lunch and re-start of clinics, now equipped with our partial MAP pack stocks of medicines: a mobbed half-day clinic with over a hundred colorful and serious patients and a full session after dinner, as Virginia performs, records and writes songs in Kinyarwanda.
14. The full day of a Grand Slam Clinic and an overflow of patients with a full report from each participant about the experiences thus far in the intense medical care, social context and even more intensive medical education experience of our Rwandan medical mission at its apex in Gisenyi.
15. Packing out from Gisenyi and return  via a Rwandan Music Center and then to Ruhengere to meet with Julie, to discuss future planned trip to visit the Gorillas in the Virunga National Park: return to Kigali, for futile attempts, again to pick up the impounded lost MAP packs and the past-due Rwandan gown to be ready “always tomorrow” and a closure of the evening with the group over Primus beers.
16. The very formal day of the Inaugural of the Bishop Forrest Steeth School and Clinics, with      Ministry officials and Commandant of the Rwandan Army as I sit Center Stage for performances by School Children and make a speech on behalf of the donor partners and present plaques to officials, and also introduce Virginia to sing for the people and with the children; we adjourn to a wild drumbeat to eat catered lunch in a tropical rainy season downpour; I give Rwandan National TV interview, and then return to the perpetual process of futile attempts to reclaim lost MAP medical packs and withdraw still further funds for ancillary charges; the group gathers with Virginia wearing the finally prepared Rwandan gown for our farewell dinner, packing out for departure after morning clinic.
17. A long day begins with a three nation bounce as part of a three continent return trip: pack out          and pay up at Hotel Kastel in Kigali, then ride to final clinic, departing for Kigali Airport check in and a surprise visit to Bujumbura, Burundi , before flying on through Nairobi transit toward an Amsterdam arrival by next morning.
18. Continuous travel from “Out of Africa” in two days from Kigali, Bujumbura,     Nairobi, Amsterdam, Detroit, Toledo to the  Medical University of Ohio and Hilton for the start of the weekend of activities around the MMHOF.
19. The wonderful mix of students and guests in the MMHOF celebration and my participation in the symposium and in the evening induction ceremonies, introducing Rick Hodes and Jill Seaman for induction as this year’s awardees.
20. A thank you note from Julie Ghrist, who had hosted us at a lunch in Ruhengere, for the bag of gifts left with Pierre in Kigali for distribution to the Rwandans.

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