Local docs teach Afghan docs over Skype

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (WAVY) - Long after dark, when most of us are in bed, two Newport News doctors are making a house call. But it's no ordinary house call -- they go to Afghanistan.

Doctors Peter Anderson and Jim Burton run successful family practices by day, but four months ago, they took on a night job.

"This is just my opportunity to give what other Americans have given me, and other Americans have given other parts of the world," said Anderson.

Afghanistan is in desperate need of medical tools and teachers.

"What we're hoping to do is introduce a culture of continuous learning where the Afghan doctors will have access to up to date information," Burton Said.

Anderson and Burton began traveling there in 2008 and gained the people's trust. Afghan doctors have invited them back to teach every three months, but for them, video calls via Skype are a bit more convenient.

"We can have contact. We can build on the relationships we have and it doesn't take 48 hours to travel and three to $6,000 of expense," said Anderson.

One topic they discussed is Bacterial Meningitis, which is a top 10 killer there. They are set up to Skype at Riverside Regional Medical Center.

The clock reads just after 11 on Wednesday night in Newport News, so it's just after 7:30 Thursday morning in Afghanistan. Doctors on both sides are eager to get started, but technology in Afghanistan is unreliable.

The video conference dropped out 18 times, the faces were fuzzy ,and some words got lost in technology and translation, but they are connecting.

Anderson shared with us video of a young boy who was misdiagnosed and near death.

"And all we've done is come along and help the Afghans do what they want to do," he said.

The boy is now alive, and so is hope for the country's medicine, as more than 40 doctors took part in Wednesday night's lecture in Afghanistan.

The Newport News doctors plan to continue these sessions every two weeks.

The biggest obstacle they face is finding other medical specialists willing to join them for lectures that begin at 11:00 p.m.