Band-Aid for a Broken Leg: Being a Doctor with No Borders (and Other Ways to Stay Single) by Damien Brown
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.
Format: Paperback | 360 pages
Dimensions (cm): 23.3 x 15.4 x 2.7 | 596g -
Publication Date: 01 Jul 2012
Publisher: Allen & Unwin
Publication City/Country: Crows Nest, Australia
Language: English
Illustrations note: illustrations
Edition Number: 1
ISBN10: 1743310218
ISBN13: 9781743310212
Condition: Good
An ex-library book that has been read but is in good condition. Very minimal damage to the cover including tiny scuff marks, and a sticker on the back cover with the name and address of the library, but no holes or tears. The book is covered by a clear plastic dust jacket. The majority of pages are undamaged with minimal creasing, but no tearing. No pencil underlining of text, and no highlighting of text. The first page has the usual library stickers and stamps and handwritten dates (tiny handwriting), and a checkout sheet, as does the last page, but no other writing in margins. No missing pages.