Leaving Uganda after our 1998 cleft project was hard. Settling back into life in England was difficult, however, knowing that there was still so much unmet need in Uganda. The entire population of 21 million people is served by just one plastic surgeon.
Most patients born with a cleft lip or palate have no prospect of receiving treatment.
Our first week was spent back at Kagando Hospital, where we used to live and work. Around 50 patients with all sorts of conditions were waiting for us. We made an assessment of those patients we knew we could do something for and worked the theatre staff hard trying to operate on them all in the few days available. Though we performed some deft repairs, most children had severe bums - one child had his eye and ear burnt off and his neck was stuck to his chest. At the beginning of the second week we met up with fellow plastic surgeon Peter Saxby, and flew off in a shaky little plane to Lira hospital.