Rwanda Hernia Mission 2024 – Sustainable Improvement in Access to Surgery
Rwanda
February-March, 2024
Read an extract below or find the complete mission report here
In late February to early March 2024, for the eighth time, a large surgical team comprising 29 British and German volunteer surgeons, anaesthetists, operating room nurses, and anaesthesia nurses continued our surgical training project in Rwanda. In eight different hospitals across the country, we provided specialized hernia surgery training to 19 young general practitioners. During this mission, a total of 333 hernia surgeries were successfully performed on 315 patients without any complications. Moreover, in 2024, thanks to numerous generous donations, we were able to bring along medical equipment and consumables valued at €110,000, which were left in Rwanda to further support the healthcare infrastructure.
Globally, there are significant disparities in the surgical treatment of hernias. While debates in the Western world currently center around the use of high-cost surgical robots for inguinal hernias, low-income countries (LICs), particularly in Africa, lack the most basic necessities: qualified medical professionals, hospitals, medical equipment, and essential consumables such as synthetic meshes for hernia repair.
Maintaining global equity in healthcare is an urgent necessity in this context. Medical advancements and the adoption of modern technologies must not exacerbate global inequalities, potentially leading to dramatic consequences. Access to safe and affordable hernia surgeries should be a universal priority, ensuring equitable healthcare for all populations worldwide.
Against this backdrop, this sustainable project can be regarded as a promising initiative aimed at providing high-quality, context-specific training to the next generation of medical professionals directly on-site. Furthermore, it seeks to inspire enthusiasm for abdominal wall and hernia surgery among trainees, fostering a skilled and motivated workforce to address local surgical needs.
Ralph Lorenz & Chris Oppong