It is getting busier here at the hospital, with cases of severe malaria and intestinal bleeding caused by bilharzia. We are glad that the numbers of patients with possible Covid have tailed off, although we are still seeing some cases of severe disease. There is still a country-wide state of health emergency, and the border remains closed to all but a few passengers from abroad. This has implications for hospital personnel arriving in or returning to Madagascar, and has left the doctors a little thin on the ground. Combined with the challenge of caring for very sick patients with limited resources, it would be easy to feel overwhelmed. But there is a wonderful sense of camaraderie amongst the medical team, with long-serving Dr Hanitra and her dry sense of humour, and the newly arrived Dr Rado, who serves with humility and grace; and of course we work closely with the surgeons too. It is a real blessing to be able to pray together as doctors as each day begins, knowing that the Lord is an infinitely better healer than any human doctor.

We know there are several medics from overseas poised to come and join the team over the coming months, so we pray for them to be granted permission to travel, along with the team members who are on home assignment.

And we pray too for Christian Malagasy doctors to respond to God's call to serve him here in Mandritsara. Meanwhile we do not lose heart, but continue to hold out the hope of the gospel in this place.