Hopital Baptiste Biblique

Hospital Website

www.abwe.org/hopital-baptiste-biblique-togo

Mission Organization

Association of Baptists for World Evangelism (ABWE)

Service Requirements

Three-week service minimum: family medicine, internal medicine, and pediatrics.

Four-week service minimum: emergency medicine, neonatology, nurse practitioner, pharmacy, physical therapy, and physician assistant.

French required for physical therapy service.

Profile

Hopital Baptiste Biblique (HBB), officially Karolyn Kempton Memorial Christian Hospital (KKMCH), is a 55-bed hospital which opened in 1985. It functions as a major medical, surgical, and acute-care facility that serves approximately half a million people. HBB exists to serve the church in accomplishing the Great Commission of our Lord Jesus Christ through evangelizing the lost and discipling the saved using the means of quality, compassionate, timely, and affordable medical care. There are 10 beds in each of the male and female wards, an 8-bed pediatric ward, a 4-bed ICU, an infection ward, and an 10-bed maternity ward with a four-bed labor and delivery room. There are 2 private rooms, a triage area, and a busy outpatient clinic with an average of 16,000 outpatient clinic visits per year. HBB is in southwest Togo, just north of Kpalimé, about 3 hours from the capital city of Lomé. The hospital is located on 32 beautiful acres at the foot of the Danyi Plateau. Lush and green, the site abounds with trees, flowers, and vegetation. The bulk of the patients are Togolese, but many come from neighboring Ghana, Burkina Faso, and Benin, and about 40% are Muslim. Full-time hospital expatriate staff includes (3) board-certified family practice physicians, (5) board-certified general surgeons, one of whom is also board-certified in Trauma/Critical Care and (2) board-certified Nurse Practitioners. Annually, HBB provides care to over 2,400 inpatients, including around 1,500 surgical cases. HBB’s maternity service continues to grow after its recent reopening, currently performing around 100 deliveries per year with about 30% of those being C-sections. The HBB ministries also include monthly evangelistic mobile medical clinics, immunization and prenatal clinics, a surgical residency program (PAACS), and an active community health evangelism program.

Travel

Volunteers fly into Lomé, Togo. From Lomé, it is a 2½ hour drive on a paved road to the hospital (transportation provided – see budget worksheet for cost).

Time Difference

+4 hours daylight saving time; +5 hours Eastern Standard Time

Location

Togo is a long, narrow country located in West Africa between Ghana and Benin. At just under 22,000 square miles, it is slightly smaller than the state of West Virginia. KKMCH is in southwest Togo, just north of Kpalimé.

People

Togo is one of the most densely populated areas of Africa with more than 7 million inhabitants. There are 37 different tribes and ethnic groups, but the largest is the Ewe (pronounced ay-vay). The population is relatively young with 70 percent being under 30 years of age. The city of Lomé is home to more than 1.5 million inhabitants.

Language

Although there are 44 tribal languages in Togo, the two main languages are Ewe and Kabyé, with French being the official national language used throughout the country. Virtually all official business and teaching is conducted in French.

Religion

The Togolese people are very receptive to the Gospel, but many remain faithful to their pagan ancestry. Many who claim to be Catholic, Protestant, or Muslim still hold on to much of their animism. Over half of the population is involved in some form of animism or spiritism.

Climate

The weather in Adéta is generally hot and humid. Average high temperatures range from the upper 80s to the upper 90s. There are a rainy season and a dry season. The rainy season is from late March through October. From November to February, the Harmattan winds blow down from the Sahara, causing a constant dusty haze.

Housing

Most volunteers will stay in the guesthouse on the compound. It has five large units, each with its own bath, and one with a sitting room. Two of the rooms have a lockable common door so large families can share the rooms. There are also homes available to those serving for several months.

Food

The guesthouse provides meals for volunteers at a reasonable cost. The water on the hospital compound is filtered and there are additional filters at the guesthouse.

Common Presentations

Malaria, meningitis, hernias, intestinal diseases, infertility, typhoid, cancer, diabetes, hypertension.

Anesthesia

General (GETA), conscious sedation (TIVA), and local-regional anesthesia (spinal, peripheral nerve blocks) are available. There are no ventilators outside the OR, although wall-mounted oxygen is available. Anesthesia is available 24/7 with in-house call by our national anesthesia staff.

Charting

Doctor's orders are generally written in English and they communicate with each other in English. Nurses chart in French and English. Most national staff understand English. Translators available for patient interaction. Doctors take home call with national staff on call in-house.

Lab Tests

On-site capabilities include basic hematology (CBC, thick smears), basic chemistry (electrolytes, creatinine), parasitology, (stool, urine, blood testing), bacteriology (Gram stain, C&S), and select serology (rapid HIV testing, sickle cell, hepatitis B & C), hormonal assays (PSA, TSH).

Pathology

Pathology specimens are sent back whole to the U.S. for sectioning and diagnosis.

Radiology/Ultrasound

Digital X-ray and ultrasound are available on site (including mobile U/S). The nearest CT scanner is an hour away.

Surgery

There are (2) operating rooms equipped with basic OR equipment and supplies to perform a broad range of surgeries, including upper and lower endoscopy, although no fluoroscopy or laparoscopy is available. They do have limited orthopedic capacity, including SIGN nail capability. There is a hip fracture table. Elective surgeries are performed every weekday except Wednesday, with emergency surgery capabilities available 24/7. HBB see an average of 4-6 surgeries performed per day. Surgeons take home call.