I am planning to travel alongside a group of physicians, surgeons and volunteers to the cities of Toamasina and Antananarivo in Madagascar for two weeks. During that time, we hope to perform as many necessary and essential surgeries as are needed in that community including the specialties of general, ENT and gynecologic surgeries.
The population that is being served are the communities in and around Toamasina and Antananarivo who would not otherwise have access to surgical interventions due to cost to travel elsewhere to have them done, or not having access to the skills necessary to perform them. Aside from the surgical side of the mission, general health screening exams, teachings on public health best practices and perioperative and hospital infection, prevention and control will all be part of the mission focus.
The central core of the mission is to build capacity in these communities through knowledge and skills transfer mutually and bilaterally. We hope to learn as much as possible from our medical counterparts in Madagascar as we hope to teach them. Lectures will be given to medical students and residents on updated guidelines in certain surgical and medical topics. And we hope to update their skills and knowledge by bringing supplies, equipment and media that they may not otherwise have access to.
From 5/1 - 5/17/25 a group of 16 physicians, surgeons, residents, CRNAs, nurses and residents traveled to Madagascar for a surgical mission with the organization Global Healing Hands. We worked in Bethany Hospital in Toamasina, Madagascar and Polyclinique Hospital in Antsiranana, Madagascar performing surgeries for populations in those area. Surgeries included total and partial thyroidectomies for severe goiters, hernia repairs, hysterectomies, lipoma removal, Caesarean sections and various other general surgeries. In total, over 40 surgeries were done in the 2 week span. We trained local staff in the operating room as well as taught residents and medical students. Both hospitals were in remote and disenfranchised areas of Madagascar with limited resources and a scarcity of clinical skills to perform some of the surgeries that were done. Multiple supplies including surgical kits and OR materials were donated to each hospital. Post-op follow-up was conducted by our team until our departure, then handed over to clinical teams in Madagascar to take over. The entire US team worked in collaboration with local doctors, nurses and staff to conduct a meaningful and rewarding experience for all involved and delivered the highest care possible to all patients with the resources available. We look forward to returning to Madagascar in the years to come to further build capacity as well as forge sustainable collaborations.
