Open letter to Tony Blair on publication of the report of the Commission for Africa
BMJ 2005; 331 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.331.7507.46 (Published 30 June 2005) Cite this as: BMJ 2005;331:46All rapid responses
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I read with great interest this open letter to Tony Blair. I fully
agree with Prof. Chris Lavy´s letter. Two months ago during the the
opening lecture of the 6th International Congresss on Ambulatory Surgery
that was held in Seville (Spain): Prof. Ignatius Kakande from Makere
University, Kampala, Uganda made a strong impression on more than 1.000
delegates describing the challenges faced by surgeons working in Africa,
in countries where the most basic requierements suffer from chaotic
failures: "scarciy of trained manpower and poor infrastructures,
inadequacy of sundries, abundance of communicable diseases, endless wars,
poverty, illiteracy and poor means of transport" (1). Prof Kakande made a
plea for help from the international surgical community. "If have anything
you are throwing away, please think of us, we will probably be able to use
it". Prof Kakande received a standing ovation.
The only way to assist our colleagues in Africa is by massive investment.
The social benefits of "training African surgeons in Africa, for Africa,
and by African surgeons" could be huge. This should be the task of the
leaders at the G8 summit.
(1)The challenges facing surgeons in Africa and how they affect
ambulatory surgery. I. Kakande, Kampala, Uganda. Cir. May. Amb. 2005, Vol
10 (supl 1): 14-14
Competing interests:
None declared
Competing interests: No competing interests
Medical Training in Developing Countries
EDITOR - I should like to support the comments of Professor Chris
Lavy of Malawi in his 'Open letter to Tony Blair' of 2nd July 2005,
BMJ 331:46-47. In particular the importance of training doctors,
surgeons and other medical personnel in their own countries
should be stressed. If they are enticed to rectify shortages of
medical staff in economically rich countries many never return to
the places where they are most needed.
Professor Lavy also points out the need for British universities to
second medical staff to developing countries to help with training
and, particularly, to train doctors in their own environment rather
than in sophisticated centres. The medical conditions in the tropics
and subtropics are often very different from those in economically
rich countries, as are the methods of treatment.
The organization 'World Orthopaedic Concern', which was
founded in Oxford in September 1973, recognises the need for
appropriate training of surgeons, doctors and paramedical
personnel in their own countries. As a result there are now over
2,000 volunteer orthopaedic surgeons throughout the world who
visit developing countries to train local doctors and surgeons and
often take their own registrars for further training. Local doctors
trained overseas, who do return, have usually learnt sophisticated
and expensive procedures inappropriate to economically poor
countries.
The Website www.worldortho.com provides information on World
Orthopaedic Concern and includes over 3,000 illustrations for
training medical students, doctors and paramedical staff in
developing countries.
Ronald L. Huckstep,
emeritus professor of traumatic and orthopaedic surgery,
University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia,
lately, professor of orthopaedic surgery, Makerere University,
Kampala, Uganda
huck333@ozemail.com.au
Competing interests: None declared
1. Huckstep RL. Challenge of the Third World: Current
Orthopaedics (2000) 14,26-33
2. Lavy C. Open letter to Tony Blair on publication of the report of
the Commission for Africa Brit. Med J. 2005, 331: 46-47
3. Triu L, Viswanathen S, Huckstep R.L, Sherry E, An orthopaedic
Website, www.worldortho.com J. Bone Jt. Surg. Proc.II 1998; 80B:
129
Competing interests:
None declared
Competing interests: No competing interests