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Band-Aid for a Broken Leg
Band-Aid for a Broken Leg: Being a doctor with no borders and other ways to stay single | Damien Brown
2 posts | 2 read | 2 to read
A powerful, heart-breaking, surprisingly funny, honest and ultimately uplifting account of life on the medical frontline, and a moving testimony of the work done by Medecins Sans Frontieres and the extraordinary and sometimes eccentric people who work for it. Damien Brown, a young Australian doctor, thinks he's ready when he arrives for his first posting with Medecins Sans Frontieres in Africa. But the town he's sent to is an isolated outpost of mud huts, surrounded by landmines; the hospital, for which he's to be the only doctor, is filled with malnourished children and conditions he's never seen; and the health workers - Angolan war veterans twice his age and who speak no English - walk out on him following an altercation on his first shift. In the months that follow, Damien confronts these challenges all the while dealing with the social absurdities of living with only three other volunteers for company. The medical calamities pile up - a leopard attack, a landmine explosion, and having to perform surgery using tools cleaned on the fire being among them - but it's through Damien's evolving friendships with the local people that his passion for the work grows. Band-Aid for a Broken Leg is a powerful, sometimes heart-breaking, often funny, always honest and ultimately uplifting account of life on the medical frontline in Angola, Mozambique and South Sudan. It is also a moving testimony of the work done by medical humanitarian groups and the extraordinary and sometimes eccentric people who work for them.
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thevagabondlawyer
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Damien Brown, an Australian doctor, suceeds in depicting the day-to-day experience of a doctor working for the MSF (Doctors without borders) in places where poverty, conflict, tragedy are prevalent and a fact of life. He worked in Mavinga in Angola, dubbed as the "edge of the world" and in South Sudan where tribal or clan wars were the norms. He navigated cultural differences both in health care and personal upbringing. ?

thevagabondlawyer He also was caught in local conflict during his stay in South Sudan that experiencing it first hand, his life at stake, was both surreal and frightening. A beautiful, touching but also disturbing and heartbreaking story, Band-Aid for a Broken Leg is not to be missed. 👊👏 3y
Ruthiella Sounds like an intense read! 3y
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funkyfergie
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I enjoyed reading this book and the insights gained from a dr who was working in such conditions. Also made me realise how much I take for granted with regards to my medical care and and the options I have.

RadicalReader @funkyfergie thought this title was absolutely astounding because of how ironic it is 8y
6 likes1 comment