GAMBIA— Free neurosurgical operations and consultations have started at the Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital (EFSTH) in the Gambia facilitated by the Swedish African Neurosurgery Collaboration (SANC) organization team who are in the country for the two-week exercise.
SANC is also in The Gambia to bring equipment to help the hospital neurosurgical team, who are in dire need of new resources and support.
The association aims to pursue non-profit activities in the form of supporting the development of advanced neurosurgical activities in Africa.
SANC conducts operations are conducted through a bilateral interprofessional exchange in neurosurgery, neuroscience nursing, and related activities between the members of the association and the association’s partners in Africa.
In his introductory remarks, Dr. John Jabang, a neurosurgeon at the Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital, thanked all those who played a part in making the Gambia mission possible, saying what is unique about SANC is that it is a complete team.
The Gambian neurosurgeon acknowledged that having a biomedical engineer was a great move and that the engineer has already fixed two of their machines that were faulty and trained some of their nurses.
The team also has neurosurgical nurses, and neurosurgeons from different major hospitals in Sweden, Nigeria, Senegal, Finland, and even The Gambia.
Professor Enoch Uche, African Rep SANC, said having the organization in The Gambia is a move in the right direction, further thanking the team members and resident doctors in The Gambia.
Prof. Uche acknowledged that SANC has undertaken neurosurgical care operations in other African nations, recalling that the organization started in 2017 and was chartered in 2018.
Prof. Uche said, “Within a space of six years, it has made a remarkable endowment and investment in terms of providing comprehensive skills and infrastructural upgrades.”
Prof Uche also added that SANC had also conducted training across all facets of neurosurgical care including training of residents, young fellows, and of course the neurosurgical nursing, training which is so deep and unique.
The Gambia mission, he added, is the biggest SANC mission that has ever had and that they’ve already conducted complex cases that would have cost patients fortunes to do overseas.
Dr. Jimmy Sunblom, team leader of SANC, expressed delight at participating in the Gambia mission and thanked the Ministry of Health for the collaboration.
Dr. Sunblom said, “So far, we have been able to help people with different diseases in the spine, brain tumors, and so on and this couldn’t have been done without the great team.”
Dr. Ammar Al Jafari, Chief Medical Director at the Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital (EFSTH), hailed the Swedish organization for its foresight and courage to embark on this humanitarian mission.
“The team has saved the patients, hospitals, and the country huge sums of money by performing some of the complex neurosurgeries in the country without flying abroad any patients,” Dr. Al Jafari remarked.
Is Neurosurgery in Africa keeping pace with the rest of the world?
The Journal of Surgical Protocol & Research Methodologies (JSPRM), notes that Africa has the second-highest neurosurgical workforce deficit globally.
Despite the many recent advancements in increasing neurosurgical access in Africa, published reports have shown that most undergraduate students have little or no exposure to neurosurgery.
The lack of exposure may pose a challenge in reducing the neurosurgical workforce deficit, which is one of the long-term strategies for tackling the unmet burden of disease.
Frontier in Surgery acknowledges that professional societies are supporting initiatives aimed at improving access to neurosurgical care in Africa.
For example, The World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies (WFNS) sponsors the training of African neurosurgeons in accredited reference training centers.
The Continental Association of African Neurosurgical Societies (CAANS) recently created an ad-hoc committee to assist residents and young neurosurgeons.
The Young African Neurosurgeons Committee has been tasked with facilitating education and research among future and young African neurosurgeons.
The JSPRM notes that most neurosurgical needs in Africa are unmet due to delays in seeking, reaching, and receiving care with little or no efforts directed toward understanding or reducing the barriers to seeking care and accessing neurological services.
Additionally, neurosurgical societies in Africa should support the local community of neurosurgeons to improve neurosurgical care by continuing education, scientific exchange, mobilization for international funding initiatives, and soliciting the government’s support.
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