Ultrasound Training in Madagascar - Class of 2019 Alum Dan Baker and PGY3 Will Frazier

Ranomafana, Madagascar - After travelling for 4 days we finally made it to our destination. A small town in rural Madagascar, Ranomafana is surrounded by a lush forest protected as a national park where yes, there are lemurs. This town serves as the epicenter for an elaborate hub and spoke healthcare model developed, funded, and maintained by the NGO “PIVOT” in coordination with the Ministry of Public Health of Madagascar. Dr. Dan Baker and I were graciously invited to teach ultrasound at the district hospital in the Infanadiana district. While there, we received an overwhelmingly positive response from the technicians and physicians working in the district hospital, had the opportunity to observe multiple changes in patient management after utilizing our lectures and the Lumify Ultrasound, and were able to help remedy issues with the ultrasound prenatal screening protocol in one of the rural communities. While there were some ups and downs (both literally, while on the motor bikes through the muddy paths to the rural community center, and metaphorically, through our own foodborne illness encounter), the trip was a rewarding experience where we were able to see an immediate change in care based off our intervention.