As part of our mission to deliver Life Unlimited for all, we seek ways we can help improve patient outcomes in developing countries, where healthcare access is more limited.
Last year, members of the Smith+Nephew team, with our partners the British Orthopaedic Association and the St Roch Group, visited the Muhimbili Orthopaedic Institute (MOI) in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania where, using our product donations, we helped train local surgeons on clinical assessment and surgical techniques.
This year, building on the trip’s success, four arthroscopy surgeons from MOI (Francis Fitaru, Felix Mrita, Joseph Sabas and Samwel Nungu) visited the UK to train at our London Academy, enhancing their skills and witnessing the latest techniques in action. Giles Heilpern, a UK surgeon, explains, “Visiting the surgeons in their own environment was amazing last year, and we thought we could add more educationally by bringing them to train at the London Academy and then disseminate those skills across the wider surgical community in Tanzania.”
Giles and fellow surgeon Adil Ajuied led the first course in the London Academy, which was a soft tissue course, to learn a variety of Meniscal repair options, including delivering procedures with limited equipment. This was followed by the Wanatabe shoulder course, which dives into arthroscopy and rotator cuff repair, led by Hagen Jähnich and supported by Adrian Carlos.
Alongside training, the surgeons spent the fortnight observing a variety of surgeries, like ACL revision and robotic knee reconstruction, at St Roch members’ clinics and hospitals. Over the weekend, they toured London’s tourist hotspots such as Tower Bridge and The Globe, and had the opportunity to build professional relationships with social events hosted by the St Roch surgeons.
Elizabeth Turp, Smith+Nephew Cluster Marketing Manager, said, “It was humbling and emotional to say goodbye at the end of the trip. Improving access to medical education is a valuable part of our mission to improve patient outcomes and it’s amazing to think of the impact that this training will have on our visitors. In particular, it will help them reduce patient stays in Tanzania, as most families sleep outside the clinic to enable a visit.”
Joe, one of our visiting surgeons, said “The two weeks of training has been amazing. I’ve met incredible surgeons and the courses will make a real impact to my surgeries, and my nation as a whole.”