Our Trip to Madagascar - February 2024

We started on March 8th, 2024, Ms. Dr. Hanieh Erdmann (dermatolo-surgeon / practice Dr. Pajouh-Bargteheide), Ms. Dr. Anne Greiser from the DRK Hospital Ratzeburg, Dr. Thomas Lange from the “Ostsee-Praxis” for plastic surgery, team leader Dr. Michael Krewitt (Anesthesiology / Castrop-Rauxel), Dr. Karl Becker (Pediatric Surgery / Bonn) Dr. Ralf von Sukow (anesthesiology), Karoline Brunswicker (anesthesiology), Regina Bendtfeld (surgical nurse) and Elke Estedem (anesthesiology nurse) on an aid mission from “pro interplast Seligenstadt e.V.” to Madagascar.
After a long journey, we arrived at our first location in Manambaro, in the southeast of the country. A large number of patients were already waiting for us there.

We had to make a selection and were able to operate on 123 small and large patients free of charge. Mainly with malformations of the lips and palate, but also with burns, their consequences, various hernias and tumorous diseases.

We performed most of the operations under general anesthesia and despite poor conditions (no power supply - only a generator for the operations, no running water, no air conditioning at over 30 degrees) the team did an excellent job with a lot of passion and profession.

Afterwards, Dr. Hanieh Erdmann went to the capital Tana to visit the children at home or at school together with the team supervisior from the “Narindra” project.

One of our children is now trained to be a midwife, another has been admitted to the Poly Tec University and two more girls are about to complete their training.