Letter from a WorldVenture medical worker returning to Pakistan:
I couldn’t see much of the flooded areas from the airplane; however, on the road between Sukkur and Shikarpur I saw many tent camps full of flood refugees…

The Pakistan airline did not charge me for my excess luggage on my domestic flight to Sukkur, because I was bringing in medicine for the flood relief victims. I arrived back in Shikarpur in time to unpack a few things and then go down to the hospital to join the nursing staff for tea. After tea I attended an in-service on the care of severely malnourished children given by Dr. D, got a brief report from Dr. P about the nursing staff and started to work.

The hospital (SCH) reopened on the 13th, the day I arrived. We now have about 10 malnourished kids admitted in the medical ward. The midwife I hired last May came with her husband in August and has started to work. I think she will work out well, as soon as she learns the routines and learns to speak Sindhi. I am thankful for this opportunity to reopen the hospital. We have just barely enough staff to take care of these malnourished children. Our hope is that God would supply at least four more midwives so we can reopen for deliveries.

Last night I went out with Dr. P and others to the refugee camp they have been feeding to deliver two weeks of food supplies. The women were all quite cheerful and happy to see us, and the children love to shake hands and have their pictures taken.

Apparently, this group of people is from a village only nine kilometers outside of Shikarpur. They had no warning when the flood waters came and could bring only a few belongings with them. Distribution of the food supplies turned into a rather difficult task, as people from other camps or areas in the city (which has not been flooded) tried to gain fraudulent access to a bag of food. We finally had to leave after only giving out two-thirds of them. The team tried to return later that night, but there were still men hanging around who had not previously been surveyed and given a number to receive the food. The team had to return early this morning to complete the distribution.

Pray for wisdom in how to best distribute the food, so those who truly need it will receive it; that the malnourished children who have been admitted to the hospital would gain weight and be healed of the diseases they suffer from—and that their mothers and other relatives would come to understand the practices that have contributed to their conditions—and that God would supply the medical staff needed at the hospital and at least four more midwives.

Immediate Need for Medical Personnel & Helpers!
WorldVenture is gearing up to send two medical teams to work with our medical practitioners at the hospital in short-term blocks through mid-September to the end of October. Each team will need a male and female doctor (or provider), two nurses, a team leader/coordinator and a cook/laundry helper. The teams will be used for mobile medical camps where determined they can be most useful. For more information on the medical teams, click here: Medical Team. For more about the cook/laundry position, go here: Cook/Laundry Helper for Medical Team.