WWLD and WWJD
Dr Mhoira Leng
14th November 2013
Last evening I was privileged to attend a celebration of the life of David Livingstone in the soaring and chilly beauty of Glasgow Cathedral. I was then asked to be part of a debate on what would Livingstone (WWLD) do if he were alive today. All the suggestions were persuasive and compelling (eradicating HIV/AIDS; Ms Mphatso Nguluwe , ending modern human trafficking;Sir Kenneth Calman, mobilising churches; Rev CB Samuel and addressing the global pandemic of untreated pain and lack of access to palliative care; yours truly) I have included the whole of my 4 minute speech for you to review. Sorry you can't vote for the others as well. At Cairdeas we are particularly delighted to partner with EMMS International 'My thanks to my fellow debaters for their moving and persuasive presentation, to EMMS and the organisers of this event and to Dr David Livingstone for his inspirational life and example which we have come here to honour and celebrate.
5 billion people in our world do not have access to pain relief and palliative care, many of these with chronic, debilitating, life limiting illness. HIV AIDS as we have already heard but also rising numbers of those with cancer, growing problems with heart disease, rapidly increasing numbers with poorly controlled diabetes, kidney failure with little access to dialysis and multiple respiratory problems due in part to cooking fires in huts with poor ventilation.
This burden of disease has an incalculable effect on individuals, families, communities and even national economies as it disproportionately affects those in low and middle income countries exacerbating poverty and creating a trap for many more to fall into, where meager resources are used in a futile search for help and future generations denied opportunities and hope. This global pandemic of untreated pain affects hundreds of millions of people in our world and is described by the World Health Assembly as an urgent, humanitarian responsibility.
Oral morphine, one of the mainstays of pain relief is simply unavailable in most of the world. Of all the morphine legally produced and used every year 94% is used by countries that represent only 15% of the world’s population. One of Livingstone’s achievements was to ensure that a simple medication made from Peruvian tree bark would be available in a safe and effective formulation. These ‘Livingstone’s Rousers’, which combined quinine and rhubarb, were a significant advance and I think he would use same energy and determination to champion the provision of another God given medication; the extract of opium we call morphine.
Imagine the anguish of medical colleagues seeing patients in such severe pain yet unable to help, imagine the distress on a mothers face when her tiny daughter injured by severe burns when she pulled over paraffin lamp screams in pain without relief, imagine the quiet endurance and silent agony of a young mother whose breast cancer has spread to her bones and dares not move lest it hurt, imagine the nurse who avoids dressing the wounds of her patient as she cannot bear to hear the shouts of pain, imagine the elderly man who prays that God will take him soon to spare him further anguish and stop draining the family finances.
Palliative care is about quality of life and holistic support addressing the physical problems such as pain but also the isolation and financial drain of chronic illness, the loss of hope and meaning, the powerlessness and despair. It is about empowering communities, restoring dignity, relieving suffering, walking alongside those who face darkness and despair with all our medical skills and also a message of hope and promise of presence.
Livingstone engaged with some of the greatest causes of suffering and injustice in his day but above all he was concerned with what would Jesus do. WWJD leads to WWLD.
Livingstone was an ambassador for Christ. Taking the good news of reconciliation with God, with one another, with ourselves and with a world that is beautiful, exciting with untold riches to be explored. Livingstone was also a beacon to challenge and inspire others to be involved in this God ordained work of bringing reconciliation and healing and an end to needless suffering. Livingstone was not afraid to challenge and convict others, to stand against the prejudices of his day and to live his life in the extreme for the cause he believed in.
Many years ago I sat under a baobab tree in Malawi and made a decision to engage in this cause in Africa and India. It has been a wonderful adventure and tremendous privilege for me filled with challenges and blessings. This tree was over 200 years old and local legend has it that Livingstone would sit there; perhaps also contemplating the calling God has put on his life.Ladies and gentleman; lack of access to pain control and palliative care is one of the most significant global injustices facing our world today. I put it to you that freedom from pain, restoring dignity and relieving suffering would have been a concern, a motive, an imperative and a journey of untold adventure for Livingstone; as it is for each one of us.'
Inspiring leaders
Dr Mhoira Leng
22nd October 2013
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| Amazing LDI family |
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| Anjum and Dinesh with their sleepy mentor |
thanks to the work of Dr Bishnu. Dr Eva wrote the first ever morphine prescription in Guatemala. Dr Chitra is pioneering the need for holistic care within chronic mental health. Dr Odontaya is now a TV celebrity in
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| Team building last course |
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| Dr and Mrs Israel Kolawole |
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for sharing your journey with me and each other, thank you for blessing my heart and for being a blessing to so many.These next few weeks I will have the opportunity to share more of the work of Cairdeas and our partners at meetings and conferences in the UK. Please come and join if you can. https://www.facebook.com/events/687542981262603/. There will also be a UK based conference to look in more depth at mentoring and sharing with colleagues involved in the THET palliative care project as well as Palliative Care Works and an opportunity to share at the Scottish CMF conference. I'm looking forward to meeting many folk after a long gap and sharing some of the blessings I receive as a world citizen and representative for Cairdeas and reflecting the Gaelic meaning; friendship and fellowship. I quoted from Tennyson's famous poem Ulysses when he says 'I am a part of all that I have met'. In this global age we are still brothers and sisters; sharing in the joys and the pains. The boundaries of nation, faith and ethnicity serve to enrich but should not divide. Each meeting, each experience, each challenge serves to enrich our lives and help us grow in love and service. As the man of wisdom says in the book of Ecclesiastes; 'there is a time for everything under the sun; a time to weep, a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance'
Let me finish this post with a quote from one of my colleagues and former students who summarised the role of a mentor in a way that humbles and inspires me. A mentor is 'the one created by God to wear another's shoes'.
Tastes of heaven; part 2; west african spice
Dr Mhoira Leng
30th July 2013
A few weeks ago I made my second visit to West Africa and my first to the power house of Nigeria. I had been promised a warm welcome with plenty spice so after a lengthy visa process taking several months I arrived in Lagos surrounded by the energy and colour of a fast growing city of over 8 million. Relaxing before travelling on to my destination of Ilorin in Kwara state, I thought I would test the food; 'pepper fish and jollof rice please' and almost found my chilli match. For those of you who know me that is no mean feat and confirmed I would love this place.
Dr Israel Kolewole and his team at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH) were welcoming hosts
In Ilorin Dr Israel is one of the leaders being supported through the Leadership Development Initiative and I was visiting to see what he has been achieving and to offer mentorship. He is a senior colleague with a Masters in Palliative Care who is a anaesthetist and specialist in pain management. He is committed to ensuring palliative care is integrated and made available to those in need. He has established an enthusiastic team with several trained nurses and plans to support them to access Diploma and Degree courses in Uganda.We spent time on clinical rounds in the very impressive University Hospital and in meeting key leaders and
colleagues. Dr Israel had developed and submitted and innovative curriculum for Postgraduate Diploma in Palliative Medicine at the University of Ilorin and I was delighted to be hosted by the Vice Chancellor and Dean who not only made a public commitment to ensuring this programme becomes a reality but also that palliative care is integrated into the undergraduate medical curriculum. This will be the first postgraduate training available in West Africa and establishes Ilorin as a key centre for Nigeria and the region. Congratulation for this breakthrough although I realise much work lies ahead! Check out the link to the article on the University website.
The Chief Medical Director of UITH, Prof. A. W. O. Olatinwo, is committed to seeing holistic and quality care offered in his hospital and community and sees palliative care as providing key leadership This is such an exciting combination of senior palliative care leadership with a major hospital leader understanding and wanting to integrate palliative care. He arranged a senior meeting of his staff in the hospital and allowed us to present integrated palliative care and then listened to his colleagues before making a public commitment to moving PC forward. There is already a new Hospice building on the hospital site which Israel hopes to be the focus of a day care and community outreach programme. Topping off my visit was a meeting with the Ministry of Health district office who committed to PC in all hospitals in the region and the charity arm of the presidents wife in Kwara state who were asked to support women and children's needs. All in 5 days!
Many thanks to Dr Israel and his family as well as Abiola, Aligeh and the rest of the wonderful team. They were amazing and generous hosts including praying for me in my hotel room and when I left, taking very good care of any security issues and helping me explore my new found pleasure in Nigerian food and dress. This amazing gown not only was a wonderful present but make travel back to Lagos a dream; dress like this in Nigeria and even the airline check-in staff ask for a photo.
Back to the food; if you get the chance make sure you try efo riro, pepper soup, egusi, fried plantain, jollof rice, amala, fufu and of course pounded yam. I might give the pomo (cow skin) a miss next time.
For me personally there was also the opportunity to connect with a special person in my past; my maternal grandfather Robert Forrest. He worked in public health in Nigeria, including Kwara state, for more than 20 years in the 1920's to 40's. My Nigerian friends gave me honourary Yoruba status and were delighted to phone and greet my mum in the UK who has many memories of visits to her father. Those journeys were by boat and fraught with the dangers of malaria but after a 4 day journey home (care of many delays) I can empathise a wee touch.