Flight- 29 June Visit to Omboue Hospital

Just a one hour flight from Libreville is the coastal village of Omboue.  It's a popular tourist destination as the savannah's surrounding have a high elephant population and the beautiful lakes and the ocean nearby are also attractions.  Access to this village is limited to boat and airplane.  We touched down on the gravel runway and were greeted by Dr. Kisi, the medical director of the regional medical center (pictured to the left).

Dr. Kisi has been in Omboue for a few years and was thankful for our visit and offer to assist in linking them through our service- Aviation Medicale de Bongolo.  Dr. Kisi took us on a tour of the hospital.  This is his office and examination room.

Here's part of their lab.

The lab tech spoke to the challenges of keeping the lab running when access to technicians to maintain the machine and the material to use in the machines are so limited.  With our aircraft, we hope to enhance their services to their community.

This young mother (who agreed to the photo) brought her child to the hospital, traveling by a dugout canoe (pirogue), after he stumbled into a cooking fire and burned his hand.

 

 

Patient room.

Labor and delivery... in case you couldn't tell...

Just down the street, I was greeted by a delegation at our local Alliance church.  The pastor's wife is far right, front row.  Her husband was traveling on this day.  They were very welcoming!  Dr. Kisi attends this church.

Then, as if the warm welcome, tour of the hospital, meeting the local Prefet, and a visit to the church weren't enough, they invited Jeff and I to Dr. Kisi's house for a HUGE lunch!  Did I mention that all this was set up only 24 hours earlier!?! The Gendarme never left our sides!  We were treated like V.I.P.'s all afternoon long in Omboue.

Here we are just prior to departure:  L to R; Jeff (flight nurse from Alaska), Dr. Kisi, myself, and the elder from the local church.