My Role in Ilula

Leslie Pratt writing today. I am a Maternal Fetal Medicine (high risk OB) physician who is now mostly retired. This is my third trip to Ilula. I first came in 2014 at the prodding of my daughter (Laura Hanson) who was a 4th year med student at the time. I was here as clinical faculty and was a bit unsure of my role. I observed rounds, participated in a few Cesarean section deliveries, presented a talk at the 1st annual MN Ilula medical conference and tried to impart a few words of wisdom to our students. And I was overwhelmed by the volume of patients and the lack of resources I saw.

My second trip two years ago was focused on participating in the medical conference which by then was so well attended it was held in a lecture room at the Health Care Institute in Iringa (an hour away). That year I felt I was not only contributing to our students education but importantly to the medical education of our Tanzanian colleagues.

This year the 6th annual Minnesota Ilula International Medical Conference was attended by 130 participants, the largest audience yet. It was held in a new and even larger conference hall. Over the two days of this year's conference we heard presentations not only by members of our group, but importantly by several of our Tanzanian colleagues.  

I have spent most of my time at Ilula hospital doing ultrasound this trip. Perhaps the most meaningful part of this year's trip has been spending several days introducing two of the new Ilula physicians to ultrasound. I have now discovered what my role is here. And why it is worth 26 hours of air travel, 12 hours of bus travel, countless meals of beans and rice, and having to always sleep under mosquito netting. My role is to help these very dedicated men and women take care of their pregnant patients with the most knowledge and best resources we can give them in a part of the world where a woman’s risk of of dying in childbirth remains unacceptably high.