State of the Art medical practices

For those of us accustomed to state-of-the-art medical practices and procedures (however frustrated we may get with the system), medical conditions in developing countries (from educational content to ministries of health and hospital facilities) can make us seriously stop and pause. I remember hearing stories several years ago from a doctor from Bosnia and Herzegovina. She talked about the deplorable state of Bosnia's medical facilities. Surgical instruments were 40 years old; some of the surgical tables had to be held up by people during surgery because otherwise they would collapse during the procedure. The war, as always happens, sent far more civilians to the grave than military personnel. Many died because they could not get proper medical treatment in time, either because they were hurt directly from the fighting or because the war prohibited medical supplies from reaching the hospital. Some people underwent surgery with no anesthetics because none was available.

A few weeks ago, on a trip to Hodeidah, several of us got to witness the practice of an ancient medical tradition here in Yemen (and perhaps outside the country too, not sure; it's a practice that is somewhat religious in nature as it was apparently put forth by the Prophet Mohammad as one of his approved medical treatments). The "procedure" took place at a small enclave in a very busy marketplace, so anyone could observe, but pictures were strictly prohibited. The person who is experiencing pain (a toothache to a ruptured spleen, it's all the same treatment) has these glass "bubbles" or containers filled with hot, boiling water suctioned to their back. The lack of oxygen causes blood to come out directly through the skin without breaking the skin. After several of these "bubbles" are filled with blood, they are removed and the treatment is done. Essentially the same as "bleeding" someone, but excessively more painful. The pain is absolutely excruciating. Perhaps this "works" in that you totally forget the pain of your health problem. Not really sure what the rationale is behind this practice, though I think it also includes some sort of supposed "cleansing" of evil toxins within the body. At any rate, it's not practiced in too many places in Yemen as I understand, but it was a common practice in this particular place and it made me so thankful for modern medicine.

I heard another amusing medical solution yesterday. A young medical student told me, "You know, some people in Yemen say that Qat will cure diabetes." When my response was an instantaneous and fully unveiled laugh, he threw up his hands and exclaimed, "Thank you! That is the response I've been looking for my whole life! Crazy, right? But the rationale is if people just chew qat for five or six hours straight, they won't eat, so that will help." Somehow.

Lest you worry too much about medical safety here, Sanaa does host a great German-Saudi hospital within its jurisdiction. :)