ACUPUNCTURE PROJECT IN UGANDA

Previous Updates

August 2007
By Beth Cole

Back at the Ibanda Hospital I proceeded to complete the third and final training of the group I began to train in December 2006. This group was composed of health care providers from the Ibanda Hospital and the Fort Portal district of Uganda.

The day we arrived I presented Sister Beatrice with blood pressure cuffs, one of the portable items on her wish list for the hospital's future geriatric ward. Included were two pediatric cuffs, the sisters were elated. Although they had heard of pediatric cuffs, they had never seen them. Three cuffs were stowed away for the geriatric ward and the remaining cuffs were put to use immediately.

Similar to the second training the first day was spent discussing the trainee's successes and challenges in administering acupuncture treatments during our two and a half month break in training. Some of the trainees had ventured into remote villages to treat their family members. Word spread of the promising new treatment and soon the village people were lining up to receive care previously not provided. The group discovered that acupuncture is easily portable.

Sister Beatrice reported great success with temporal headache, blurry vision and several cases of lowering high blood pressure. Another trainee stated that acupuncture was a miracle for sinusitis, upon insertion of the needles the patient could breathe immediately. David directly experienced that while treating one ailment another can disappear. A patient presented with back pain and ankle swelling. David inserted needles in ashi (local, painful) points around the ankle and applied moxa. The patient felt a tingling sensation and the backache disappeared without specific treatment for the condition. Brenda had great success with a patient that had debilitating back pain for two years making it impossible to work. The patient made the long arduous journey to the city of Kampala to visit a specialist without receiving any relief. Pharmaceutical drugs did not alleviate the pain. Upon examination Brenda could see the patient's back bone. After eight treatments the patient no longer wears a corset, the vertebrae are not visible and the patient is not only walking, but is employed and able to work once again. Acupuncture along with cupping and moxa allowed this man to resume his life.

On the second day we immediately began setting up the room and treating patients. A fourteen year old female complained of difficult breathing ongoing for three years, chest pain, cough and temporal headache. After one treatment all symptoms had disappeared. As often seen, children and teens can respond immediately to acupuncture.

Word had not yet spread that we were back in town so the patient load was lighter and we finished with patients after a late lunch. The four trainees employed by the Ibanda Hospital continued treatment with inpatient visits. An eighty year old woman with dyspnea for the past two years sat up in bed. She was admitted five days earlier and received oxygen. The day before we treated her the oxygen was transferred to a more severe case. Each ward has only one oxygen bottle and many are not functional. Besides having difficulty breathing the patient also experienced heart palpitations, temporal headache and epigastric pain. Within a few minutes of inserting the needles I observed the heaving of the woman's chest calming down and her face relaxing. After the treatment the headache was gone and the dypnea and palpitations had decreased. Another inpatient was suffering from malaria manifesting as chills, fever, heart palpitations and cough. The seventy year old woman was relieved from the chills and palpitations after acupuncture was administered.

A radio message was broadcasted that free acupuncture treatments were available during the week. The announcement resulted in long lines out the door again. A young boy walked into the clinic with his grandfather. His mother died of AIDS and his father abandoned him leaving him in his grandfather's care. The caretaker did not know his grandson's age. Annette, a Fort Portal trainee skilled in pediatrics, reached the child's arm over the opposite side of his head and determined the boy was five years old. His main complaint was cracked painful feet that sometimes bled. The boy's hands were peeling and the skin on his arms and legs was dry. It was apparent the boy was depressed by his blank, vacant stare. The grandfather was counseled in nutrition to alleviate the dry, cracked skin. Applying Vaseline to the feet and covering them with socks before bed was also recommended. The grandfather commented he would buy socks when he could afford them. The difference in the young boy after acupuncture treatment was amazing. A depressed little boy with a far off look in his eyes was now smiling; light was reflected in his eyes, his spirit was shining. Witnessing this profound change in his grandson, the grandfather requested treatment for his depression. The boy was referred for HIV testing. As the two patients were departing the hospital I waved them to follow me. Through hand motions I explained to apply Burt's Bees Rescue Ointment and socks I had grabbed out of my personal luggage.

The training of this group is now complete. Currently I am researching incorporating a program similar to this into Real Medicine Foundation's existing and new projects. If you would like to support this humanitarian effort please either make an online donation and write acupuncture in the remarks section or write acupuncture in the memo section of your check. Thank you for your support.

April 2007
By Beth Cole

In April 2007 we returned to Ibanda in southwestern Uganda to continue training nurses, midwives and HIV/AIDS counselors in acupuncture protocols. Trainees spent the first day sharing their successes, discussing their challenges and asking questions. Among the many success stories were several accounts of midwives turning breech babies utilizing moxibustion, an adjunctive treatment taught in the program. In between the two training periods a patient experiencing painful swollen varicose veins was treated with acupuncture and moxibustion. The swelling subsided and once again the patient could bend his legs.
	Moxibustion		Acupuncture treatment for shoulder pain
A few weeks before we arrived, the main newspaper, New Vision, published an article about the training program returning to Ibanda and free treatment of patients. The article generated a line of patients waiting outside the hospital door when we arrived. The lines never diminished throughout the training. Patients that couldn’t possibly be seen that day due to time constraints were given priority and numbers for the following day.
	Patients waiting in line		Patient waiting for treatment
The emphasis of the second training was introducing the training manual addendum detailing differentiation of syndromes. Familiarization of the addendum was achieved through lecture and continuation of clinical supervision. Acupuncture points that trainees were having difficulty locating were reviewed. Having taught point location during the first training the majority of the second training was dedicated to treating patients and honing differentiation skills. With the lines expanding outside the door day by day we encouraged the Ugandan health care providers to inquire what each patient’s chief two or three complaints were versus attempting to treat all the signs and symptoms. Often other signs and symptoms disappear when focusing on the main complaints.
Beth Cole, locating a point with Sister Beatrice
After the first day we broke into two groups. I led the group I was with in December 2006 at the Ibanda Hospital. It was amazing to observe the progress this group made in only a few months. They were more confident, thorough and efficient with intake, assessment and treatment.
	Acupuncture trainers and driver		Acupuncture trainees
Following brief lectures on the previous days’ observations patients were brought in for consultation and treatment. These morning lectures provided the opportunity to share new protocols for cases seen in clinic but not addressed in the manual. Many patients hobbled to the waiting line supported only by a simple stick in lieu of a cane. Old and young squatted side by side very accustom to being without the luxury of furniture. Many would return home to spend the night sleeping on their dirt floor. Without running water, limited intermittent electricity and meager wages life is very arduous in this bucolic village of lush rolling hills. The grim reality is most are struggling just to survive. As one elderly man sat upright after an acupuncture treatment he carefully turned his dirty hole ridden under shirt inside out. I observed his socks that were stretched beyond life and noticed a second pair of trousers were substituted for underpants. The poverty is harsh.
	Cupping		Beth Cole, treating a patient
Between the two groups at the Ruhoko Health Center and Ibanda Hospital approximately 800 patients were seen. One young boy appeared with a severe case of osteomyelitis (bone infection), his deformed leg oozed with pus due to inadequate treatment caused by the lack of the proper antibiotics. When we referred him to surgery the care taker confided they had tried to raise the funds for surgery, but were unsuccessful. Upon inquiry we learned the cost of the surgery is 50,000 shillings, the equivalent of thirty U.S. dollars. As an added benefit the project has the opportunity to refer patients when acupuncture alone is not sufficient treatment. With a high incidence of sexually transmitted diseases in this area, many patients with genital itching were seen, treated and referred for lab tests including an eight year old girl.
	Village children		Beth Cole with Ugandan trainees
As word spread about the program the hospital requested that we see some inpatients. A middle aged woman was admitted with intense pelvic pain that did not respond to any pharmaceutical intervention. One of the nurses working at the hospital and participating in the training treated the patient as I supervised. The next day the patient shared that she experienced relief from the gnawing pain and slept well, but the pain had returned and she was experiencing dizziness and palpitations. Another acupuncture treatment was administered. Upon arrival the next day, a Thursday, the patient stated that the pain had diminished and the dizziness and palpitations were eliminated. Ultrasounds are only performed in the hospital on Thursdays. This patient was not scheduled for the procedure so we inquired with the nurse in charge of the unit and set up an ultrasound. The bed was empty on Friday, the ultrasound was negative, the pain had resolved and the patient was released.
	Ibanda Hospital inpatient with severe pelvic pain		Child with acupuncture model
Before departing for Uganda I asked friends for donations of infant and children’s clothing and toys. The response was immense and I stuffed 50 pounds, the maximum allowed weight, into an extra bag. I joined forces with four trainees working at the hospital; Sister Beatrice, Sister Stella, Geoffrey and Kaba Lisa. Sister Stella had gathered the children and moms staying at the children’s ward in a receiving line. The moms and children were overjoyed with the gifts of clothes and toys. Afterwards we proceeded to the maternity ward. Twins had recently been delivered and a premature baby was placed in my arms. One mother in particular stood out of the crowd. Her frail body appeared too old to have possibly delivered a newborn. Malnutrition and poverty had taken its toll, aging this woman well beyond her years. The sisters explained her situation and requested that she receive more clothing. All the other mothers cheered as the destitute mom received her bounty. The gratitude was incredible, smiles of joy lit up the maternity ward. Handing out a stuffed monkey, the whole ward broke into laughter and applauded.
	Little girl looking in the mirror she received as a gift in the child’s ward		New mom with twins receiving clothing
Throughout my Ugandan journey I handed out beautiful pens decorated with a colorful fish and coral reef scene donated by Helinger Advertising. Children and adults alike were fascinated by the pens. Children are constantly asking foreigners for school pens. All school supplies must be provided by the family’s limited wages. The second of three trainings was complete in Ibanda. We packed our belongings and headed towards Mbarara (r’s are pronounced like l’s). Assembled in a government building was a group of previous trainees practicing in the district. One of the practitioners was having difficulty achieving results with a stroke patient and requested that we visit the patient immediately following the meeting. The patient was seen at their home and the local health care provider was supervised in a new protocol for paralysis implementing scalp acupuncture. The following day we traveled to Masaka and held another follow up meeting. A nurse brought one of her patients, her 19 year old HIV positive niece with a skin disorder although not painful, itchy or oozing was making her socially uncomfortable. The young college student lost her Dad when 2 years old and her Mom when 9 years old, both to AIDS. Small bumps appeared on her arms, legs, face and armpits. Previously this young woman has responded favorably to acupuncture treatments for fevers and respiratory infection. Several suggestions were given to the nurse for different protocols including adding ear points and using moxibustion in addition to acupuncture. The new protocols developed in Ibanda were shared with both the Masaka and Mbarara group.
	HIV patient in Masaka		Young patient
With only an hour to spare before I needed to be at my departure gate Robert Fleming drove me to his orphanage, Malayaka House, www.malayakahouse.com, in Entebbe.  While leading students on a service trip, Robert befriended a homeless, psychotic, pregnant woman who had been raped.  He assisted her to the hospital for delivery.  Contractions were not close enough together so they waited and Robert fell asleep in the early hours of the morning.  Upon waking he found the mother covered in blood in the bathroom.  Frantically he hunted for the baby and found her thrown into the bottom of the bathroom trashcan.  Custody was granted to Robert.  The baby girl was named Malyaka and thus the Malayaka House was formed.  Only two weeks later the police arrived with Jamie a 2 ½ year old abused, abandoned malnourished boy.  His femur and arm were broken and burns marred his face.  To date Robert has rescued eleven children.  Ten of these healthy, vibrant children live with him at Malayaka House, one died in his arms.  I am truly in awe of this courageous man who traveled to Uganda to supervise college students doing service work and has never left except to return to America for fundraising efforts.  His love, compassion and commitment were apparent during our brief encounter.
	Beth Cole with children at the Malayaka House		Nick Phillips, at the Malayaka House
The end of July the third and final training will commence in Ibanda. Upon completion of the Ibanda training we will journey towards Kampala to start the first initial training of traditional healers. Currently Beth Cole is investigating the potential of incorporating this simple, effective, inexpensive training or a similar training into other countries in Africa that have contacted RMF for assistance, along with countries outside of Africa where RMF is providing humanitarian relief. .To direct donations towards this valuable work, please write 'acupuncture' in the memo section of your check or in the message section if you are donating online. Beth Cole can be contacted at her email.