AAO-HNSF Humanitarian Travel Grant Trip Report: Migori, Kenya
Resident Academy members who are PGY-3, PGY-4, or PGY-5 are eligible to apply for $1,000 Humanitarian Travel Grants through the AAO-HNSF. The Academy is now accepting applications for humanitarian outreach trips taking place July 1 – December 31, 2023.
Atif J. Cheema, MD
The trip was arranged through Kenya Relief, an organization that operates an orphanage, a school, and a medical clinic in southwestern Kenya. About 20 times a year, short-term mission teams visit the Kenya Relief campus to help with education, outreach, and provide medical and surgical care to the community. The organization has grown rapidly over the past 15 years. It started small but now has a fully functioning clinic and surgical center, a home for over 100 children, a kindergarten through middle school academy, and numerous other services for its community in Migori County, Kenya.
The team I worked with on my outreach trip consisted of four surgeons, four certified registered nurse anesthetists, an anesthesiologist, six perioperative nurses, a pediatrician, and a radiologist. In four days we saw over 400 patients in clinic and performed 85 surgeries. Otolaryngology was the busiest service and took care of patients with large goiters and adenoids. We also saw a variety of other cases.
I am grateful for the opportunity to go to Kenya and serve patients through Kenya Relief. I truly believe we made a positive impact on their lives. There are very few otolaryngology surgeons in the country, and these patients were able to have surgeries done essentially for free. Without Kenya Relief and the many volunteers who participate in these humanitarian outreach and education visits, many patients would not have access to the care they need. I hope to return and am so grateful to the AAO-HNSF for helping to make my trip possible.
Resident Academy members who are PGY-3, PGY-4, or PGY-5 are eligible to apply for $1,000 Humanitarian Travel Grants through the AAO-HNSF. The Academy is now accepting applications for humanitarian outreach trips taking place July 1 – December 31, 2023.
Submit your application by May 31, 2023.
https://www.entnet.org/get-involved/humanitarian-efforts/humanitarian-travel-grants/
