Local couple visits Democratic Republic of the Congo

Dr. Ray Bauer and his wife, Diana, returned June 15 from a three-week trip to Africa .  Two weeks were spent working as part of United Methodist Volunteers in Mission (UMVIM) as part of a medical team.  Dr. Peniel Kasongo had requested that a surgeon come and help him improve his operating skills.  Pictured left to right:  Dr. Jim Shaw of Spokane OR (medical director of the team), Dr. Kasongo, Diana and Dr. Ray Bauer.

Some interesting notes:

During the first week Diana lived with a Universite Methodiste au Katanga faculty family at Mulungwishi, a missionary outpost. Mission team members assisted clinic personnel in providing immunizations, diagnostic and treatment services both at the clinic on campus and at remote village clinics.  Although it is “in the middle of nowhere” the university offers degrees in education, theology, and information technology.  They had a recently installed satellite dish for high-speed internet connection. The second week she joined her husband in Kolwezi, a city of about 260,000 people where Dr. Kasongo operates a 60-bed hospital on about $6000 (US) a month with a staff of 26 people.

A surgical operation normally costs $150 but there was no charge to patients treated during the missionary visit period.  Obstetrical delivery and a three-day stay cost $7.

A hospitalized patient’s family brings the bed linens and food and do most of the non-technical patient care under direction of the nurses.

Fifty-nine operations were performed during the two weeks that Dr. Bauer and another American surgeon, Dr. Lee Jeffrey of Colorado , were there.  Dr. Kasongo particularly wanted to learn how to do hernia repair.  Dr. Bauer demonstrated the technique using reinforcing mesh donated by Sutter Delta Medical Center .  As far as is known, these were the first surgeries using this technique performed in that country.

This was the Bauer’s second missionary trip and they are finding such work habit forming.  Regardless of time, money, and energy expended they feel that volunteers always get more than they give.  It’s a rewarding way to travel because you get connected to people, learn a lot about a culture, and hopefully leave something that will make life better for that community after you go home.