The Juaneda Group returns from Gambia

Just a few weeks ago, Dr. Jaume Julià, vascular surgeon at Clínica Juaneda, and Pep Ribas, operating theatre coordinator at Juaneda Miramar, spoke to us about the final details of their upcoming trip to The Gambia.

An adventure to provide medical, social and paediatric aid that was to give a group of 15 people - many of whom were on such a trip for the first time - an unforgettable experience.

And that is exactly what happened. After 8 intense and wonderful days, the expedition was a complete success on a personal, professional and emotional level.

And although it is difficult to summarise this trip in numbers, they are necessary to get a rough estimate: More than 70 surgeries were performed, more than 200 treatments were given, almost 300 children were treated by the paediatrician of Grupo Juaneda, Dr Marta Redondo, and almost 300 screenings were carried out on patients, 55 of whom are already scheduled for operations next year. Almost one thousand people were treated in a small health centre with good sanitary and surgical conditions. 

We at Grupo Juaneda would like to thank José Luis Flores, the head of the NGO Amigos de Gambia, because with the help of this organisation we are able to follow the progress of the patients who have been operated on and give instructions for the further course of their recovery.

Before leaving for Gambia, the entire expedition team had set itself three goals, which were exceeded by far:

1.  Training: In 8 days they had time to teach three nurses, who were with them 24 hours a day, how to care for wounds, how to suture and remove stitches or how to treat ulcers properly. They are an invaluable help for the patients who need to recover after our visit.

2.  Documentation: During the trip, a series of written documents were prepared to record the patient's data and the treatments planned for the following year. It is a perfect way to keep track of the patients and their complaints, giving them continuity from year to year.

3.  Zero carbon waste policy: Thanks to special bags they brought from Spain, they were able to separate all the paper and plastic they generated during the eight days. After the trip, they were able to seal the bags and bring them back in their suitcases.

Without a doubt, it was a wonderful first contact that will help us to further improve our future trips. For 2022 we have planned to travel again with the same team plus an anaesthesiologist to be able to perform larger operations.

We are sure that this is just the beginning of a wonderful friendship.

Juaneda, close to you.

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