Medical missions of the African Hungarian Union

The XIXth Special Surgical Doctors Mission to Malawi

Authors

  • Péter Gergő Juhász Department of Subtropical Agriculture, Szent István University, Gödöllő, Hungary
  • Csaba Loibl MD. Department of Anaesthesiology and Critical Care, Medical School, University of Pécs, Hungary
  • Csaba Szeremley Doctoral School on Safety and Security Sciences, University of Óbuda, Budapest, Hungary

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.59569/jceeas.2021.1.1-2.10

Keywords:

medical missions, Sub-Saharan Africa, health, African Hungarian Union, Ear-Nose-Throat surgeries

Abstract

This article discusses the charitable medical activities of the African Hungarian Union (AHU) – a Hungarian not-for-profit organization – in Africa and highlights one of the Ear-Nose-Throat (ENT) missions to Malawi. This paper also reviews food security issues in correlation with health and features the mission’s anaesthetic procedures in details. As an aim, it also tries to draw attention to the positive effects of such medical operations.

AHU was established in 2006. Since 2009 the organisation has coordinated XXIV doctors’ missions to different African countries, including the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Mali, Madagascar, Guinea, Uganda and Malawi. These missions were sponsored mainly by AHU and its individual sponsors and companies, as well as the participating doctors, who sometimes devoted not only their precious time but fundraised money to contribute to the budget. The XIX mission was one of the seven special surgical missions. Out of all the recipient countries—due to mainly logistical reasons from AHU’s side—only Malawi ended up in the fortunate situation to host surgical missions. This Medical Mission focused on Ear-Nose-Throat (ENT) surgeries, and general health care. The four Hungarian doctors, together with the local medical staff, performed 35 ENT operations in two operating theatres in two weeks. No postoperative Intensive Care Unit (ICU) admission was needed among the patients. Neither surgical nor anaesthesiologic complications occurred during the perioperative period, resulting in an overall very successful medical mission.

Author Biographies

Péter Gergő Juhász, Department of Subtropical Agriculture, Szent István University, Gödöllő, Hungary

Dr. Péter Gergő Juhász graduated from the University of Nyíregyháza in 2002 with a degree in agricultural engineering. In 2006 he graduated as an environmental agricultural engineer at Szent István University in Gödöllő. Since 2007 he has been an entrepeneur. He has worked as a development consultant in Malawi, Mozambique, Swaziland, South Africa, Namibia and Zambia. In 2017, he obtained a PhD degree at the Doctoral School of Management Organizational Sciences at Szent István University. His research and publications focus primarily on food security in developing countries. He is the President of the Planetrise Association for Culture and Environmental Protection. With his scientific work, he has contributed to the development and operation of several humanitarian, environmental and agricultural projects in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Zambia, South Africa and Malawi.

Csaba Loibl MD., Department of Anaesthesiology and Critical Care, Medical School, University of Pécs, Hungary

Dr. Péter Gergő Juhász graduated from the University of Nyíregyháza in 2002 with a degree in agricultural engineering. In 2006 he graduated as an environmental agricultural engineer at Szent István University in Gödöllő. Since 2007 he has been an entrepeneur. He has worked as a development consultant in Malawi, Mozambique, Swaziland, South Africa, Namibia and Zambia. In 2017, he obtained a PhD degree at the Doctoral School of Management Organizational Sciences at Szent István University. His research and publications focus primarily on food security in developing countries. He is the President of the Planetrise Association for Culture and Environmental Protection. With his scientific work, he has contributed to the development and operation of several humanitarian, environmental and agricultural projects in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Zambia, South Africa and Malawi.

Csaba Szeremley, Doctoral School on Safety and Security Sciences, University of Óbuda, Budapest, Hungary

Csaba Szeremley graduated at the University of Pannonia in 2002 as an economist in the field of tourism. He spent his 18-month-long internship at a Brookdale Living Inc. in the USA. In 2009 he obtained his MA degree in Educational Planning, Economics and International Development at the Institute of Education, University College of London. Before moving to Malawi in 2012 he worked for Development Aid from People to People UK as the general manager. In Malawi he set up his own company in Audio-visual production and worked for several big NGOs and firms besides running the Hungarian Trade and Cultural Centre. In 2016 he returned to Hungary and has been an entrepreneur with still strong ties to Malawi as he continued his participation in 10 medical missions as a coordinator. In 2021 he enrolled at the Doctoral School of Safety and Security Sciences at the University of Óbuda.

Journal of Central and Eastern European African Studies Volume 1 Number 1-2 2021

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Published

2021-07-04 — Updated on 2024-03-12

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How to Cite

Juhász, P. G. ., Loibl , C., & Szeremley, C. (2024). Medical missions of the African Hungarian Union: The XIXth Special Surgical Doctors Mission to Malawi. Journal of Central and Eastern European African Studies, 1(1-2), 176–195. https://doi.org/10.59569/jceeas.2021.1.1-2.10 (Original work published July 4, 2021)

Issue

Vol. 1 No. 1-2 (2021): JCEEAS - Vol 1 Number 1-2 2021

Section

Articles