Moses Lake Medical Team (MLMT), in collaboration with the Ogbomoso Community Foundation (OCF) has recently completed its 5^th annual free medical mission.

Moses Lake Medical Team (MLMT), in collaboration with the Ogbomoso Community Foundation (OCF) has recently completed its 5^th annual free medical mission. This mission was performed in the city of Ogbomoso in Oyo State, Nigeria, from November 5^th -16^th, 2012. Twenty four (24) members of the MLMT took part in this

year’s event. The area of expertise of the team members included General Surgeons, Internists, Pediatricians, Optometrists, Dentists, Dental Assistants, Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioners (ARNP), Registered Nurses, Physical Therapists, Pharmacists, Laboratory Scientists, and Administrative personnel. Team members consisted of volunteers from both the United States of America and Canada. The team was led by Dr. Lateef Olaniyan.

The team arrived in Lagos on Saturday, the 3^rd of November and was met at the Airport by the OCF members, led by the vice president Prince Debo Gbadebo. The team spent the night at a guest house in Lagos before traveling to Ogbomoso the following day.

After an opening reception that was hosted by the OCF on Sunday, the 4^th of November, the medical mission commenced on Monday, the 5^th of November at Ladoke Akintola Teaching Hospital (LAUTECH).  All the activities of this year’s mission took place at this teaching hospital. The scope of these activities included free surgeries (minor, major, cataract extractions, etc), free physical examination of the indigents, free eye examinations, free nursing care, free dental examinations, free laboratory blood analysis, free medications dispensary, free eye glasses dispensary, and free physical therapy sessions. Almost all of the medications dispensed during this mission were brought by the team from the United States of America. All the eye glasses dispensed were those donated to the team by the Moses Lake Lions Club International, through the Lions Eye Recycling Center. The only medication purchased in Nigeria was the anti-malaria agents that are not readily available in the United States.

During the 1^st week of the mission, the clinics were open from Monday through Friday from 9:00AM to 6:00PM, with an hour lunch break. The same hours of operation were observed during the second week, but there was no active patient care on Friday, the 16^th of November, since that was the day team members traveled to the Airport in Lagos to fly back to their destinations.

It was not all work and no play for the team members. On Saturday, the 10^th, team took a trip to Ilorin, a nearby city in Kwara State to sightsee and to purchase some local artifacts. On the evening of the same day, the team visited the king’s palace of the traditional ruler of Ogbomoso (Soun of Ogbomoso), Oba Oladunni Oyewumi Ajagungbade III. The king graciously received the team, and gave the team some presents. The highlight of the visit was the photo session with the old palace tortoise, the Alagba (the elderly), whose age has been said to be over 300 years!

On Sunday, the 11^th, the team members were invited to and attended two different Sunday services devoted to the team by the respective congregations. In the evening, a civic reception was organized for the team members at the home of the Asiwaju of Ogbomosoland, Chief Sunday Adewusi. A variety of very delicious items were on the menu of the dinner served to the team members and all the VIPs present at this occasion.

Our regular mission activities resumed on Monday, November the 11^th , treating patients, performing various surgical procedures, diagnosing eye problems, dispensing eye glasses, and filling patients’ prescriptions. We worked from Monday through Thursday of the week from 9:00AM-6:00PM.

In the evening of Thursday, November 15, the team was honored with a closing and farewell ceremony. The chairman of Ogbomoso North Local Government (county chairman) and the chairman of the Orire Local Government were among the guests present at this occasion. Dr. Olakulehin of the LAUTECH Teaching Hospital was also present. During the gathering the Moses Lake Medical Team president Dr. Lateef Olaniyan thanked the hosts and the people of Ogbomoso for the opportunity to serve the patients. He also expressed the team’s appreciation to the security officers who did a great job keeping us safe during the mission. The catering service that prepared our meals was also recognized. The OCF members and all the guests that were present at the occasion expressed their sincere gratitude to the medical team for their selfless commitment to humanitarian services. The OCF presented the team with gifts of native attires (Ankara), tailored to each member specification, which the team really appreciated. Every member of the team was dressed in the presented native attire while enjoying a dinner of jollof rice, chicken, fish, and barbecued goat. The night ended with a group picture between the team members and the hosts.

On Friday the 16^th of November, The team left Ogbomoso for Lagos, where they flew back to their destinations of United States and Canada. The vice president of OCF Prince Debo Gbadebo who was present when the team arrived in Nigeria, was with the team every single day of the mission, and also escorted the team from Ogbomoso to the Airport.

** Please see 2012 Mission Accomplishment below**