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Weekly UpdatesMedical laboratory professionals work each day on behalf of sick patients in need of healthcare. Some professionals, however, extend the reach of their influence far beyond the bounds of their laboratory to support the care of indigent patients overseas.
Over the last year, it has been my pleasure to work with Karen McHugh who has authored a piece in this issue of MLO: "Babies, blood tests and Buddha: a life-changing vacation." Originally trained as a medical technologist, Karen now works for a biomedical-device company but has never lost sight of the ideals of service that brought her to the laboratory at the beginning of her career.
Working with Karen, we have been able to secure generous donations to support the laboratory service of the Department of Pediatrics at Mulago Hospital--the largest teaching hospital in Uganda. Mulago Hospital serves the indigent population in the capital city of Uganda. Here, malaria is very common. Mothers bring to the hospital very sick children with hemoglobin values often well below 5 gm/dL. Basic laboratory support is essential for identifying the most gravely ill children and for guiding treatment.
While Karen's enthusiasm is exceptional, she is just one of many hundreds of readers of MLO who give unselfishly of their time, energy, and experience to support the advance of laboratory services throughout Latin America, the Caribbean, Southeast Asia, India, and Africa. These individuals collectively are an enormous force of goodwill, knowledge, and human healing, and represent the finest values of American generosity.
If you have ever had the slightest inclination to extend your knowledge and talents to support those who struggle to deliver laboratory services in nations with struggling economies, I invite you to "take the plunge" and get involved. You will be very glad mat you did!
--Walter (Sunny) Dzik, MD
Blood Transfusion Service
Massachusetts General Hospital
Boston, MA
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