Niger – A Program of Many Firsts

Blog submitted by Jacqueline Newton

Jackie is a Staff Nurse on the Flying Eye Hospital and has been a member of the crew since June 2008

When I think of Niger I am reminded of the first time I flew in to Niamey, it was beautiful, the dry desert with a trail of green along the Niger River. Climbing off the plane the heat seemed to cover you like a blanket.  

The construction of a new theater complex at the Niamey National Hospital was in progress but when I arrived the week before our program began, it was complete and the hosts were keen to use this complex during the upcoming Flying Eye Hospital program. The goal was to transform a brand new unit into a fully functional operating theater complex by the time the rest of the Flying Eye Hospital team arrived. It took hours of instructing and guiding the local staff in the development of their complex, which involved gathering theater equipment and supplies, as well as training of the local staff in aseptic technique.  

One of the days was allocated to cleaning and disinfecting the theater complex, it was at this time I realized the need for just the basics such as clean cloths, mops and disinfectant. There was no shortage of ophthalmic instruments but it took 2 days to sort through them all and organize them into instrument trays. Besides many other trays, 3 complete cataract sets were made up and were going to be used during the ORBIS program. By the end of the week not only did I feel I had bonded and won the trust of the local staff but that they and the theater complex were ready for the first surgery day.  

It was 8 days after I arrived that we had our first surgery day, which turned out to be a great success. After the first case, a huge feeling of accomplishment and a sense of pride and excitement about the potential of their new theater complex were felt by all the local staff. Another 5 days of surgery were successfully carried out, but my concern was whether the staff were going to keep up the management of the complex and continue to perform the skills that had been taught them during the 2 week ORBIS Nurse Training Program.     

Eight weeks after the Flying Eye Hospital program, I returned to Niger to take part in a hospital based program, run at the new theater complex, and it was at this time that I realized the importance of the Hospital Based Program. Although many other surgeries had been carried out since ORBIS had left, I spent another week instructing the local staff on the management of an operating theater unit and reinforcing the skills taught during the ORBIS Nurse Training Program.  

By the end of the Hospital Based Program I felt that the theater complex was left in the capable hands of the local staff determined to keep up the good work!

Photos by Perry Athanason