Drs. Hall and Shaffer are back safely in Columbia, SC after a very fruitful 10 day trip to Mbeya, Tanzania.  Together with partners from Emory University (Dr. Brittany Murray) and Muhimbili National Hospital in Dar es Salaam (Dr. Prosper Bashaka and Irene Kulola) the team was successful in training 7 physicians in emergency bedside ultrasound.  In addition, the hospital has agreed to be the host the next USC Global Health Fellow which means our team will be active a Mbeya Zonal Referral Hospital for at least the next 2 years! The fellow will be focusing on quality improvement initiatives throughout the hospital, especially in emergency and inpatient care.   Our next visit to Mbeya will be in August to orient the fellow to the hospital and make plans for the coming years.

Many sincere thanks to all of you who helped make this trip a success with your financial assistance as well as your thoughts ands prayers!

Trip Highlights include:

A surprise visit to Dodoma to meet with Dr. Mpoki Ulisubisya, the Permanent Secretary of Health of Tanzania and tour the new Benjamin Mkapa Hospital, a possible site of future work.

4 intense days of ultrasound and clinical training in Mbeya

Helping take care of patients using bedside ultrasound in Mbeya: Detected fluid in the chest, a ruptured lung and other important findings with the trainees.

Dinner at the home of Dr. Prosper Bashaka, an emergency medicine resident who will be returning to Mbeya next year as the hospital’s first Emergency Medicine Specialist!