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The seminar, which was sponsored by BU\u2019<\/span>s Armenia Medical Partnership Program, \u201c<\/span>How to Run a Hospital in a Warzone: Localizing Humanitarian Action,\u201d focused on <\/span>the challenges of running a hospital in a war-torn region. Dr. Catena spoke of the importance of empowering people on the ground to make decisions about the allocation of aid. \u201cI want to get you interested in global health [and] show you what is possible with your training as a medical student.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n An American surgeon, pediatrician and obstetrician\/gynecologist, Dr. Catena has been the only doctor since 2007 permanently based in the region, which has a population of more than a half million people. In 2008 he founded Mother of Mercy Hospital, the only major hospital in the Nuba Mountains, where he now treats up to 400 patients daily.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n BU President Emeritus Aram V. Chobanian, MD, introduced Dr. Catena as a recipient of the $1.1 million Aurora Prize for Awakening Humanity, which he was awarded in 2017 for his humanitarian work. He was appointed Aurora\u2019s inaugural Chair in December 2018, a position he maintains in parallel with his ongoing responsibilities as Medical Director for Mother of Mercy Hospital.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Aurora was founded on behalf of the survivors of the Armenian genocide to honor the selfless actions of those who helped them. \u201c<\/span>That rings home because both of my parents were survivors [of the Armenian genocide] as well as both of my late wife\u2019<\/span>s parents,\u201d said Dr. Chobanian. Aurora, an organization that works to inspire people to take action and uplift others in lesser circumstances, also has ties to Boston University. Two of the founders of the organization, N<\/span>eubar B. A<\/span>feyan and Vartan Gregorian, served on BU\u2019s Board of Trustees.<\/p>\n Dr. Chobanian described how Dr. Catena was one of the few medical workers with an international aid organization that stayed behind after the South Sudanese Civil War broke out in the region. Since the conflict began in December 2013, at least 50,000 people have been killed and an estimated quarter of South Sudan\u2019s population has been displaced, according to figures from the United Nations. A report released by Amnesty International in September 2018 showed that during the war, South Sudan\u2019s military forces systematically raped women, murdered civilians and carried out large-scale looting. \u201c<\/span>I can say that we\u2019<\/span>re all in awe of you, Tom. The kind of work that you\u2019ve<\/span> done brings out the very best of what medicine is all about. It\u2019<\/span>s a pleasure to have our students see what can be done in one\u2019<\/span>s lifetime.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n Dr. Catena is on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week. There is no electricity or running water in the area where he and his team work and only some parts of Mother of Mercy Hospital are powered by solar energy. \u201c<\/span>This is a part of the world that has never really known peace. It\u2019<\/span>s chaotic, but you can still do a heck of a lot with limited resources.\u201d <\/span>During the seminar, Dr. Catena showed photos of patients he\u2019s treated, including those with goiters, tumors and leprosy, a disease which is very common in the Nuba Mountains. \u201cMy wife is from the mountains and her mother has leprosy,\u201d said Dr. Catena. \u201cWe\u2019ve had to amputate all her fingers over time.\u201d<\/p>\n While Dr. Catena shared several stories of patients with positive outcomes, he also shared stories of those who were not as fortunate. As the body of a young girl killed by shrapnel in her abdomen was displayed on one of the slides, he said, \u201cI\u2019m showing you this not to scandalize you, but to show you the effects of war and what that is.\u201d<\/p>\n A discussion with attendees followed his presentation. \u201cHow do you have resilience of spirit when you\u2019re constantly being bombarded with what\u2019s around you?\u201d asked a student.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s very difficult. You get despondent,\u201d answered Dr. Catena, a Catholic missionary doctor. \u201cFor me I have to draw on my faith. I\u2019m there for a reason. I\u2019m there to serve God by serving the people and I take this quite seriously. I\u2019m there to do the best that I can. Let me just do what I can do and see how God can work in the lives of the people here.\u201d<\/p>\n Toward the end of the discussion, Dr. Catena highlighted the vitality of those who he\u2019s worked with and treated for more than a decade. <\/span>\u201cThese people are incredibly tough and strong. They\u2019ve been suffering for so many years and have put up with so much more than I ever will. That gives you a lot of strength to keep on pushing ahead.\u201d<\/p>\n