Thirty-four orthopaedic residents came to the Black Lion Hospital and CURE Ethiopia Children's Hospital in Addis Ababa for a four-day children's orthopaedic surgery course. The course was taught by local faculty supported by a visiting team of orthopaedic surgeons from the Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre, Bristol Royal Children's Hospital, Sheffield Children's Hospital and the Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto.
Mr Tim Theologis, Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon from the Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre, said: 'Both the trainees and faculty enjoyed the training week immensely, particularly the opportunity to discuss challenging cases with experienced colleagues from around the world, and to pass on practical skills, tips and tricks through the hands-on workshops.'
The course covered commonly seen children's musculoskeletal conditions such as clubfoot, neglected trauma, cerebral palsy, and hip dysplasia through interactive lectures and clinical case reviews. The workshops included gait analysis, deformity correction, demonstration of surgical approaches, examination of patients and Ponseti casting of clubfeet.
The course was very well received by the trainees and stimulated a great amount of interest in children's orthopaedics. Many of the orthopaedic residents training at the Black Lion Hospital will return to hospitals across the country after their surgical training to continue their practice. There are approximately 70 orthopaedic surgeons for a population of about 96 million people, and the provision of healthcare for children's disability is very limited in Ethiopia, particularly in rural and remote areas.
Over the past three years, eleven surgeons from the Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre have volunteered as instructors for four surgical training courses in Addis Ababa, training around 120 orthopaedic residents from Ethiopia and neighbouring countries in children's orthopaedics, tumour and flaps, and hip and knee arthroplasty. The courses have been part of the COSECSA Oxford Orthopaedic Link programme, linking NDORMS at the University of Oxford with the College of Surgeons of East, Central and Southern Africa (COSECSA).
The programme is funded by the UK Department for International Development (Health Partnership Scheme) and directed by Professor Chris Lavy and Professor Hemant Pandit.
All Pictures: Copyright Dr. A. Howard