The day before our travel to Africa, there was a big crack down on airport security with new carry on luggage restrictions. A terrorism scare focused on .jpg)
London and intercontinental travel. It became very unclear as to whether the Ultrasound would be allowed as carry-on since we were not going through London. (It was clear that London would not allow it). The official opinion was that it was unlikely. So we prayed and I decided to take the US as carry on since I wasn’t convinced that God would miraculously empower me to do primary care again. GHO gave me a special letter identifying the machine as essential medical technology needed for our trip and too precious to check. We got to the airport 3 hours early and had no trouble on the trip to Africa with the Ultrasound. We met much of the rest of the team at JFK and off to Johannesburg we went.
The next ultrasound challenge occurred when we went to a small village in western Kenya called Nyangena in the Kissee tribe region. The clinic was reached by dirt roads and located in the mountainous tea area of the country where resistant Malaria is endemic. There was no electricity anywhere nearby and we had been unable to access a generator for the trip. Thus we had to depend on the three batteries sent with the Titan Ultrasound. The hotel was in the nearby community and had very tenuous power. As it turned out, the batteries would not fully recharge at night for an unknown reason. Once, when power strip and converter was plugged in, we turned the hotel black for 30 minutes until they got the generators going. That was our last attempt to charge the batteries and I had 1.5 days when I resorted to helping in other ways (first counting pills, then in the ophthalmology clinic and finally a day of seeing patients and doing primary care). It was amazing how fast the team adapted to having US available and how it was missed. The experience made the team appreciate the tool all the more.
Upon arrival back in Nairobi and the Methodist Guest House, with new power strip and new converter in hand (courtesy of Jane and Cindy), the Titan batteries charged up nicely and we were good to go for the next week without a hitch. The power was intermittent in Dandora, Nairobi but there was no issue with the batteries getting charged or holding a charge. By now the presence of US was established and valued and I was able to enjoy a full schedule of imaging and assisting in diagnosis. Since I had the only room that was shaded from light as well as prying eyes, I also did the pelvic exam service.
The first week, I was intermittently without a translator, due to a shortage. We were very blessed both weeks to have Catherine a pastor and social worker, who could help to deal with the non-physical issues that surrounded us and minister to those we had difficulty communicating 
with. She along with other team members saw people led to Christ. The second week I was assigned my own translator, Hanna, and we had a wonderful time praying with the patients and talking about Christ and His wonderful creation more thoroughly seen with this newfangled tool He has allowed us.
The physical conditions we saw were many. There is no real way to treat hypertension or diabetes in this setting of profound poverty without a social system that provides drugs at an affordable price. (I saw small echogenic kidneys, carotid vascular disease and normal renal arteries in the under forty crowd with chronic disease). US was able to better estimate the degree of inflammatory diseases and thereby tailor treatment to improve outcomes. US was able to confirm viable life in an IUGR fetus whose mother needed treatment or the child delivered. US was able to provide EDD’s, discover previa and multiciplicity and Mom’s enjoyed seeing their unborn children. There were probable treatable cancers found and there was quite a plethora of complex abdominal and pelvic masses, which I presume, are largely inflammatory/infectious. Some of the masses warrant pathology, microbiology and interventional treatment. Some of these masses were unsuspected clinically in patients who did not express relevant complaints till the imaging findings were detected.
On separation of the team, it was agreed that UNITS USA has introduced a significant asset to the provision of medical care in underserved areas. The local medical providers, staff and traveling team all held the ultrasound in high regard. It had become an item of excitement in the community. Dr. Ong’uti said, “this is the first time such advanced medical technology has reached such a remote area and I’m so proud that it is in my home community”. I thank you most deeply for allowing me to share in this endeavor.
- Linda Hippenhammer MD© 2006 UNITS USAAll Rights Reserved.