Éilis Rowan is a medical student from Northern Ireland, studying at the University of Cambridge. As part of her course she undertook a medical elective at the Good News Hospital in the summer of 2022. Éilis writes about her time in Madagascar, starting with her arrival in Antananarivo:
I wasn’t having the best weekend. My flight had been delayed, my suitcase hadn’t arrived, and the contents of my hand-baggage were not sufficient for the cold winter nights of Tana. Everything felt scary and unfamiliar – the smells, the sounds, the busy streets – and most of the French I knew seemed to have disappeared with all the sleep I had missed. I was grateful to have a companion in Pippa, another medical student, but still I yearned to be back home, back where life was comfortable and easy.
On Monday morning, we boarded the helicopter that would take us to Mandritsara. Out the window, I watched the houses become smaller and further apart. The terrain transformed from urban streets into rolling hills, boasting beautiful tropical plants and the occasional herd of omby (cattle). The wind buffeting the helicopter made it feel like a strange rollercoaster, and I felt the tension gradually slip away. I finally allowed myself to enjoy Madagascar. As we descended into Mandritsara I began to feel the warm sun beaming down and see the happy faces beaming up to welcome us.
A team came from the hospital to greet us and take us to the lovely Oasis guest house, where we were met with a sign showing a shamrock and the words “Céad míle fáilte” (Irish for “one hundred thousand welcomes”). I later learnt that “Mandritsara” comes from the Malagasy words “mandry” meaning “to lie down” and “tsara”, meaning “good”, and this is exactly how it felt when I arrived. It immediately felt like home.
I had come across the Good News Hospital in my search for a medical elective programme. I recognised it from its links with several people from my church in Cambridge, including the Chin family who are serving there this year (Joel – anaesthetist, Joyce – GP and 3 children). I may not have known what to expect but I knew that I would have friends there, so I sent in an application. Several months later I was sat in the “salle de pause” at the Good News Hospital for my first morning prayer meeting, a daily occurrence for the doctors there.
The meeting had barely finished when I heard that a patient whose labour was not progressing was being brought to the operating theatre for an emergency Caesarean section. I followed the surgeons into the theatre, amazed at how different it was from theatres back in the UK. Instead of a busy, crowded room with machines lining every wall, I encountered a small but efficient team, a calm atmosphere, and a modest scrubbing-up station. I was impressed by the use of reusable gowns and drapes, something that would be unheard of in the UK where these resources get disposed of after one use. Whilst an average NHS hospital may have all the flashing lights, bells and whistles, here I found something they don’t have: a team that prays around the operating table.
I had just witnessed the birth of a beautiful baby girl, when suddenly the lights went out and the machines came to a stop. Unphased, everyone carried on doing their jobs as a few of us stood holding our phone torches over the operating table until the lights came back on. I had been warned that there might be power cuts, but didn’t expect it to happen so soon! It was a seemingly dramatic episode that set the tone for the rest of the trip.
Over the following weeks I watched as the hospital staff used everything at their fingertips to help each patient who came through the gates. I was amazed as well by the resilience of the patients, who endured often tremendous pain without complaint. One in particular comes to mind: a teenage boy with an open tibial fracture, who requested that no anaesthetic be used as Dr Marco removed the metalwork from his leg. His agony was evident on his face, but the only noise he made was to ask for the drill to go faster!
The care wasn’t just confined to the hospital, and I had the joy of travelling by motorbike to the village of Manja with the community health team. We drove over the hills which surround the town, dodging omby and speeding through rivers, until the smell of a charcoal fire told us we had arrived. Many gathered to listen to a gospel-and-sanitation talk, and the smiles and laughter of the young children who sang for us were absolutely infectious. We followed this with a vaccine clinic, and were thanked with two full meals and coconuts to take home.
The most special thing about being at the Good News Hospital is the palpable sense of gospel community, people living close together and spurring each other on daily to love and serve God. There is a strong desire to share Jesus with every patient, but also to build each other up and support one another through the many trials. This kind of community is sadly lacking at most UK hospitals, but fruit of this is evident here in positive responses of patients, and the ability of the staff to endure through the harder times.
My time in Mandritsara was short, but not short of wonderful experiences to reflect on. I was in awe of the quality of care provided at the hospital, and the ingenuity and resilience shown by staff when facing difficulties and shortages that we would rarely see in the UK. More so, I was struck by the willingness of the missionary staff to give up all the comforts of home, proximity to friends and family – all the things that I yearned for in those first few days in Tana – all so that they can serve God and make His gospel known to everyone in Mandritsara. I praise God for the work being done here and pray that He would shape my heart to be willing to make these same sacrifices. I long to go back to Mandritsara, and can’t wait to see what God does there next.
Pray for Éilis and the many other students who spend time in Mandritsara encountering medical challenges that they would not meet at home, and seeing God at work through His people as they serve the needy. Several students have felt God’s call to mission during their time in Mandritsara and have returned to serve the Lord once qualified.
Pray that the Lord would bind the team of missionaries and Malagasy Christians together as they serve the Lord, often in trying and tiring circumstances. Pray that the love of Jesus would be clearly seen in them by those they serve.
Pray for the Community Health Team as they visit remote communities to bring health education, sanitation, vaccination and the gospel message to those living in spiritual darkness – and that God would be building His church in far-away villages through this ministry.