A team of Hopkins anesthesiology residents and faculty returned from their second annual medical mission to Asmara, Eritrea. The mission was a collaboration between two organizations: Physicians for Peace and Doctor's United Medical Missions (DRUMM). DRUMM is an organization led by John Sampson, M.D., Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, who has been active in medical missions to Africa for several years.

Eritrea is a country with approximately 4.4 million citizens but no anesthesiologists. As a result of a three decades of war, the country was depleted of resources and is essentially rebuilding its healthcare infrastructure. Several years ago, Kesete Teweldebrhan, Eritrea's only nurse anesthetist began a school for technicians in anesthesiology. Although he has trained several dozen anesthesiology technicians, there is still a dire need for practitioners and the more advanced skills offered by physician anesthesiologists. Physicians for Peace and Doctor's United Medical Missions work with the graduates of this program to educate them on more advanced techniques as well as safety considerations currently not in use. In addition to the long-term potential our educational role serves, their participation makes certain inoperable cases possible.

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