Apr 23, 2009 6:00 pm US/Eastern
Health: Knee Replacement Mission
PHILADELPHIA (CBS 3) ―
Healthcare workers from Pennsylvania Hospital left for the country of Panama Thursday. They set out on a mission to fix the knees of people who can't afford medical care. It's all part of Operation Walk.
Colleagues said their goodbyes to 30 doctors, nurses and physical therapists.
The group is volunteering its time to help poor people in Panama walk again, without pain.
"I think it's going to be a great experience," said Tarah McCloskey, a physical therapist.
"It's an experience that's not like anything that happens in the United States," said Dr. Jason Cwik, an anesthesiologist.
Dr. Bob Booth, a surgeon, added: "This is very refreshing to us. This reminds a lot of us why we went into medicine in the first place at all levels."
Booth and his co-workers will perform 65 knee replacements free of charge in four 14 hour work days.
The group is bringing all of the supplies.
"They have nothing. They have a building but we have to bring the parts, I.V., band aids, anesthesia, crutches. Everything," said Dr. Booth.
He and a handful of his colleagues have traveled to third world countries before to bring care to those in need of orthopedic surgery.
Many of the working conditions would be considered unacceptable.
"When we were in Nicaragua, there was a cat wandering through the operating room and when I tried to chase it away, they said 'oh no don't do that the snake will come back.' So we said 'okay we like that cat,'" Booth said.
RELATED LINK:
www.operationwalk.org
(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
Hottest Celebrity Redheads
Region Bracing For Another Winter Storm 26 mins ago 
Stumble It!
Reporting
Comments