Colon & Rectal Surgery at the University of Louisville -- Patient Information

"Work in Progress" Newsletter

The Ties That Bind
Louisville & Moldova

In August 2000, U of L's Section of Colon & Rectal Surgery welcomed Boris Topor, MD, as a Fulbright Scholar from the Former Soviet Republic of Moldova. Though he returned home last year, he and his colleagues continue to reap the rewards of the knowledge and friendship that Topor gained during his sojourn in Louisville.

Boris Topor, MD, (center) and his colleagues, Vasile Gheorghitsa (right) and Alexander Barabash (left), in Moldova with supplies from the Medical Foundation of the Jefferson County Medical Society.

Sending Out an SOS
For patients and doctors, the poor economic conditions in Moldova can conspire to make healthcare a frustrating experience. As Topor explained to his U.S. colleagues, "Everything in our country is expensive, and resources are sometimes scarce or unavailable."

Surgeons in the Section of Colon & Rectal Surgery introduced Topor to members of Supplies Over Seas (SOS), a humanitarian aid program of the Medical Foundation of the Jefferson County Medical Society.

"I remember how they took my wife, Valentina, and me to a Supplies Over Seas committee meeting to discuss humanitarian relief," recalls Topor. During the meeting, Topor spoke of the Medical University of Moldova's desperate need for medical supplies and equipment.

In February 2002, boxes of recycled walkers, wheelchairs, operating tables, manual resuscitators, and much more arrived in Moldova. The boxes almost filled an entire depository at the University.

Alexander Topor and his colleagues were overwhelmed by SOS's generosity. "It's wonderful to know that such an organization exists to provide physicians with the necessary means to practice medicine worldwide," says Topor.

Best of all, patients such as Alexander are benefiting. "Alexander suffers from a hip fracture," explains Topor. "The wheelchair is a great comfort to him."

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