Teresa first started suffering symptoms on Sunday the previous week, this was according to her sister in law Beatrice. As her symptoms kept getting worse they decided to take her to the Illeret health centre for treatment. The medical team at Illeret health centre examined and determined that Teressa needed further treatment and thus called AMREF Flying Doctors to request for an evacuation

Some deliberation was made on the matter by the AMREF Flying Doctors medical team and special consideration was given to the fact that the patient may have been pregnant this was communicated by teresa sister in law stating that she had not received her periods since the end of the month in July.

The evacuation request was confirmed and a team was assembled and ready to depart from Wilson Airport at 10:40 hrs the next morning. On board the Sesna caravan was Doctor Stevens, Flight nurse Kizito Osundwa and Captain Sam Pertet. The team landed at the Illeret airstrip after approximately 2 hours 30 minutes, where they were met by an ambulance used to transport the patient as well as her sister.

Teresa was moved from the 4 by 4 vehicle used as an ambulance by Illeret health center to a stretcher by the medical team assisted by locals. Attempts to get a verbal reaction from her by our flight nurse were unsuccessful, she had reportedly been in a semi comatose state from morning till the point of arrival of the team. She had also been experiencing seizures after 30 minute intervals.

She was moved into the aircraft where the medical team proceeded to check her vital signs as well as stabisilise her before evacuation could commence. While examining the patient the doctor made a realization that her bladder was full and that she had not gone to the toilet over a long period contributing to her discomfort. She was able to assist her through this by use of a catheter and soon after Teresa was able to communicate with the team.

Teresa denied being pregnant, her husband who is an administration police officer based at the border was not available to assist with this, so using information obtained from the sister in law and a few preliminary tests Dr Stevens decided to have a pregnancy test done once the patient arrived in Wamba.

After one hour ten minutes spent on the ground in Illeret, at 1415 hrs the team was airborne again headed for wamba hospital this was to be a one and a half hour journey, to the preferred destination where Teresa could receive further treatment. Wamba was the preferred hospital due to its proximity to Teresas home town as well as the fact that it is frequented by a good number of volunteer doctors and quite well equipped.

There were some communication barrier issues due to lack of network at the Wamba hospital. The emergency control center was unable to reach and notify wamba hospital personnel that a team was on the way with a patient. Upon landing at 15:45 hours the team had to rely on locals for any contacts to anyone inside the hospital to come for the patient. A few minutes of this and the team was lucky enough to reach the hospital administrator who sent out a nurse and Doctor to receive the patient from the aircraft. The transfer was well effected and the team left wamba headed to Wilson airport, another successful charity evacuation having been concluded.

Charity evacuations such as these are carried out free of charge. AMREF Flying Doctors is extremely appreciative of all those across the globe who fundraise for us so we can keep doing what we do best- saving lives. Charity evacuations are supported by various sources. Internationally by those such as the staff of IBM Sweden and AMREF Italia and locally by companies such as J W Seagon, a Nairobi based insurance company that makes regular donations throughout the year, particularly to this programme.

PILOT: CAPT. SAM PERTET
DOCTOR: DR STEVENS
FLIGHT NURSE: KIZITO OSUNDWA
AIRCRAFT: CARAVAN 5Y – FDB
TOTAL COST: USD 7,660