Reflections - Dr Knox Low

To be invited on the March 2009 AussiBangla trip was a great privilege.  I had originally intended on joining the 2007 trip but was not able to as I was unable to get the leave at the appropriate time.  I was very disappointed at the time and I was glad to be able to fulfill the promise I had made to Dr Sarwar.
 
The fundraising, planning and logistics of the trip were superbly organised, principally by Barbara Mitchell and Angela Brady on the Australian end with many things on the Bangladeshi end organised by Dr Sarwar.  Overall the trip was a great success and we all felt that we had made a significant change to the lives of the people we operated on.  Not everything went to plan as you would expect, especially if you have had any experience with the general chaos that is life in Bangladesh, but the team all pulled together and supported each other through the challenges that were presented to us. Giving a safe level of anaesthetic care in a difficult environment with much more limited resources than we are used to in Australia was challenging but at the same time rewarding.  With the experienced team that was present, you knew you could rely on everyone doing their job well.  Without experienced assistance the whole job would have been much, much harder.  The fact that we were able to complete 89 operations in 10 days without serious complications speaks volumes about the dedication and professionalism of those involved.
 
The Bangladeshi people were overwhelmingly generous to us despite their poverty.  It certainly wasn’t a holiday, with long days and challenges at every turn, but we all got more out of the trip than we put in.
 
Dr Knox Low, Anaesthetist