Newsletter April 2023
Netherlands Society for International Surgery
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The Netherlands Society for International Surgery (NSIS) is a taskforce that operates under the Netherlands Society for Surgery (NVvH) as well as the Netherlands Society for Tropical Medicine (NVTG).
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Our three main objectives are:
(1) to create awareness for the surgical patient in resource limited circumstances,
(2) to improve the quality of surgical healthcare in LMICs
(3) facilitating and improving the surgical training of global health and tropical medicine residents in the Netherlands
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INVITATION NSIS ALV AND MEET&GREET
Besides the NSIS mini symposium in the afternoon (see flyer), we would be pleased if you join us at the general meeting (ALV) of NSIS on May 25th, starting 10.45 in the Parkzaal at the Conference Center Koningshof, Veldhoven.
At this ALV, we will give an overview from where we come from to our current activities. Most importantly, we'd like to meet and connect people with an interest in global surgery.
With a special thanks to the supervisors of the specialty training for MDs Global Health and Tropical Medicine (opleiders AIGT) in the Netherlands, who on a daily basis contribute to the growth of excellent doctors.
--- We are looking forward to welcoming you ---
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PREVIEW
NVvH Global - Collaboration pilot in Liberia
After a long time of mutual preparation the Dutch Surgical Association (NVvH) initiated a collaboration with Norwegian NGO CapaCare this year to strengthen the postgraduate program for residents and fellows in general surgery in Liberia. The three year surgical residency program in Liberia has commenced in 2013 and got suspended during the Ebola crisis (2014-2015). As a result, the first cohort graduated in the fall of 2017. By now, 22 residents have completed the program. The Fellowship program, which offers an additional three years of further training in general surgery or one of its derived disciplines, eg. urology and orthopaedic surgery, has only started this January. Hitherto, no subspeciality training was available in Liberia, partly because most subspecialities have only one specialist in country, while for general surgery gaps exist regarding in-depth training in specific specialized topics. Through the vast network of the NVvH and their experience within many of the surgical subspecialties, the Liberian residents, fellows, and even the consultant staff can profit. The board of the NVvH has agreed to support a pilot phase of three years during which period we shall organize multiple training modules on various surgical topics, including e.g. surgical oncology and trauma. The modules, and the topics to be addressed within each module, are designed in close collaboration with, and based on the preferences of, the surgical staff of JFK Hospital in Monrovia and Jackson F Doe Hospital in Tappita, where residents do their short term (3 month) rural rotations.
This February (2023) we kicked off this collaborative project with the first module consisting of two weeks of teaching surgical oncology by prof Inne Borel Rinkes from UMC Utrecht, and surgical registrar and former Masanga Hospital Medical Superintendent Tom Gresnigt (UMC Groningen), who will continue to jointly lead this project. The first week was spent in JFK in Monrovia. JFK is a formal teaching government hospital affiliated with the medical faculty of the University of Liberia. The second week was spent in the district hospital Jackson F. Doe in Tappita, in Northern Liberia. A total of 17 presentations, regularly followed by animated discussions, were given, (grand) rounds were made together with the residing staff and residents/fellows, and several operations were observed. The visit was highly appreciated, according to the feedback we obtained from the evaluation forms, and follow up activities have been proposed and are under way. Hence, we believe this to have been a highly successful start of a fruitful collaboration between CapaCare, Nederlandse Vereniging voor Heelkunde, Liberian College of Physicians and Surgeons, and the surgical departments of JFK Hospital Monrovia and JFD Hospital Tappita.
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REVIEW
Striving towards true equity in global health: A checklist for bilateral research partnerships
Interest in “global health” among schools of medicine, public health, and other health disciplines in high-income countries (HIC) continues to rise. Persistent power imbalances, racism, and maintenance of colonialism/neocolonialism plague global health efforts, including global health scholarship. Scholarly projects conducted in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) by trainees at these schools in HIC often exacerbate these problems. Drawing on published literature and shared experiences, we review key inequalities within each phase of research, from design through implementation and analysis/dissemination, and make concrete and practical recommendations to improve equity at each stage. Key problems facing global health scholarship include HIC-centric nature of global health organizations, paucity of funding directly available for LMIC investigators and trainees, misplaced emphasis on HIC selected issues rather than local solutions to local problems, the dominance of English language in the scientific literature, and exploitation of LMIC team members. Four key principles lie at the foundation of all our recommendations: 1) seek locally derived and relevant solutions to global health issues, 2) create paired collaborations between HIC and LMIC
institutions at all levels of training, 3) provide funding for both HIC and LMIC team members, 4) assign clear roles and responsibilities to value, leverage, and share the strengths of all team members. When funding for global health research is predicated upon more ethical and equitable collaborations, the nature of global health collaborations will evolve to be more ethical and equitable. Therefore, we propose the Douala Equity Checklist as a 20-item tool HIC and LMIC institutions can use throughout the conduct of global health projects to ensure more equitable collaborations.
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For whom:
· Health professionals: surgical and obstetrics/gynaecology residents, clinical officers, residents in Global Health and Tropical Medicine (AIGT), midwives, surgeons, and OBGYNs
· Policy makers with an interest in surgery and women’s health
· Health researchers
For more information, click here
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Much needed change: Throw the disposable-use culture out of the OT
Article in Dutch
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Upcoming events 2023
General
2023
25 April Global Trauma Care in Remote, Rural & Humanitarian Healthcare, online
17-20 May 13th Meeting of the G4 Alliance Permanent Council, Geneva
21-30 May 76th World Health Assembly, Geneva
25-26 May Surgeon days 2023, Veldhoven
1 June Course Basic Operative Techniques II, Nijmegen
10-14 July Global Surgery & OBGYN summer school, Utrecht
23-27 Oct Malawi Surgical Oncology summer school, Blantyre
4 November Zorgen voor Morgen Congres DJS, Amersfoort
20-23 November 13th European Congress on Global Health (ECTMIH), Utrecht
Course days for the residents in GHTM
29 September Acute abdomen and bowel anastomisis, TBD
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From left to right: Charissa Rahmee, Rinse Meester, Matthijs Botman, Jurre van Kesteren, Ellen Reuling, Eva Stortelder, Marije Gordinou de Gouberville, Inne Borel Rinkes, Peter Reemst, Pieter Haasnoot, Roeland Voorhoeve, Hanna Hazenberg, Jonathan Vas Nunes
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