a big deal

Dr. Henry Ndasi, Dr. Francis Mbugua
Newly minted Orthopedic Surgeon Consultants

See these guys?  They have both just completed an arduous five year residency program in Orthopedics. Dr. Ndasi, who is from Cameroon, did the general surgery part somewhere other than Kenya, and joined in the third year.  Francis, who has appeared here on this blog many times, did all his training in Kenya.  Annnndddd....he is the first Kenyan Orthopedic Surgeon to be entirely trained in Kenya. The first!  All the other Orthopedic Surgeon Consultants have gone elsewhere to do their training...Uganda, India, South Africa, etc.  There's a doctor who is based here in Kijabe who did the training with him, but he went to South Africa for six months, so Francis lays claim to the title alone.

Ndasi has already returned to Cameroon, to be with his wife and three children, and to be one of ten Orthopedic Surgeons for the entire country. (And the only one in his town). He's setting up an Orthopedic department at the hospital in his town.

It is entirely possible that I think this a bigger deal than they do.

But come on, it IS a big deal. They have worked long and hard to get where they are.  Thankfully, Francis remains in Kijabe for many years to come (another reason to be sad about leaving, sigh).

This is one of the reasons I like CURE International -- they train local doctors to be specialized in something (orthopedics, nuero) and then have them STAY in the country (or go elsewhere within the CURE network).  The doctors here in Kenya who work for the government just went on strike because (among other things) they work long, hard hours and earn roughly about $6,000/year.  Who can blame them?  The strike is over now, but they didn't get close to what they were hoping for, and many are threatening to leave, and my guess is that fewer people will become doctors if things don't change.  So, in the meantime, CURE is there, treating the untreated, and training doctors to be specialized and encouraging them to stay put.  It seems like a win-win all around.  

Am I gushing too much? Can't be helped.  I'm proud of the work that CURE does, the work that Francis & Ndasi have done (and continue to do), and for their significant accomplishments.  And it helps that Ndasi is in Cameroon, and Francis is off celebrating five years of marriage with Evelyn (another accomplishment!) so they can't do anything to me!  They won't brag, so I will on their behalf.