Surgery and Healing in the Developing World - Dartmouth-Hitchcock

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2 Surgery and Healing in the Developing World
be working, is of tremendous importance. I found Davey’s Companion to Surgery in
Africa very helpful. I assume it is still in print. It has many illustrations and is quite
concise. Also, talking to a surgeon who has recently served the hospital you will be
working in can be most helpful in planning your own event. This discussion can be
very helpful in deciding whether to bring in your own favorite instruments and/or
suture materials. Remember that you will not be able to send to surgical supply for
whatever you need to handle unexpected problems that present themselves.
There are many resources available to help you in your planning. Centers for
Disease Control put out a booklet called Health Information for International Travel
and this is available through the office of the Superintendent of Documents, US
Government Printing Office, Washington D.C. 20402. Shoreland Medical Marketing
has a variety of informational products which are updated every year. Their
Travel and Routine Immunizations appears to be very comprehensive and yet very
concise. Their address is P.O. Box 13795, Milwaukee, WI 53213 The CDC
(888-232-3299;www.cdc.gov) will fax updated health information. The Medical Letter
(1000 Main Street, New Rochelle, NY 10801) has a very nice 12 page spread on
“Drugs for Treatment of Parasitic Infections”.
Travel Plans. Any full service experienced travel agency will most likely be able
to help you with your travel plans. The greater their experience with international
travel, (and especially experience with travel to Third World countries) the more
expeditious and efficient will be their work for you. I am reminded of the time when
we landed in Khartoum, Sudan to find that our supposed ongoing flight to Cairo,
Egypt did not exist. If you wish to shop for the most economical fares available you may
want to engage the help of a travel consolidator or a so-called “bucket shop”. A helpful
internet source is http://www.travel-library.com/rtw/html/rtwconsolidators.html.
Travel insurance is a good idea if you wish to be prepared for unexpected events
on your trip. This will help you to avoid out-of-pocket expenses due to trip cancellation,
baggage loss, airline strikes, medical emergencies and other unexpected incidents
of travel. You can surf the web for organizations selling this type of insurance
but one reference is www.travelguarantee.com/thetrip/. The travel agent you work
with will have sources as well.
Visas. Many/most Third World countries require a visa. Assuming that you have
a passport (if you don’t, contact the passport office at your local US Post Office) the
next step is to apply for a visa to your selected country. You can do this directly by
writing to or telephoning the embassy of that country in Washington D.C. Be prepared
to find that this process may be very slow and tedious. The office personnel in
the embassy may well be nationals of that country and there may be significant
problems in getting a good mutual understanding of what you wish accomplished.
Efficiencies we expect from our governmental organizations will most probably not
be found. You may wish to avoid this frustration by availing yourself of the services
of one of many organizations that does this sort of thing on a regular basis. Travel
Document Systems, Inc. based in Washington D.C. is one such organization that
we find helpful in some of the more difficult visa application situations. Their website
is www.traveldocs.com. There is a fee involved but it is often well worth it.
Diplomas, certificates etc. Be prepared to submit documentation of your medical
credentials. Many Third World countries are very fussy about not only your medical
diploma but about verification of your specialty certification as well. Most often, a
copy (rather than the original) of diplomas and specialty certificates will suffice. It
may be necessary to have them notarized to validate that they are true copies. A