With the profile of SWIFTSS increasing on the global stage, and the successes of the TNMHP becoming more widely know, interest for projects in other countries has started. We are delighted to announce that one of these has progressed significantly and a new Mesh Hernia Pilot Project has started in Sierra Leone.
Lesley Hunt, a UK general surgeon based in Sheffield has been supporting the development of surgical training in Sierra Leone for 10 years now. What she has achieved, is truly remarkable and inspiring. Mark met Lesley at the GASOC conference towards the end of last year. It transpired that both were equally motivated to seek out the other. Mark to hear more about what Lesley has done; and Lesley keen to learn more about the approach SWIFTSS has taken to mesh hernia surgery. It is fantastic that our methodology provides a solution to a problem they have been trying to overcome for several years now. Equally fantastic is that Lesley was delighted to join the SWIFTSS clinical faculty.
After several months of planning, Lesley travelled back to Sierra Leone mid-May, with Mark joining her (for the first time) a week later. Taking a suitable autoclave and mesh supply with them, they ran the Affordable Mesh Hernia Surgery (nee TNMHP) centre induction programme which went extremely well. An intense schedule was managed brilliantly by ‘Saloane’ project lead Anthony Abbot Kamara (a Surgical CHO with an incredible work ethic). By the end of the 3 days, the team were confident and very capable technically, the process for sterilising the mesh established, and (for the first time) the eRegistry was collecting data. Fantastic!
It is a real privilege to have been invited to work with the team in Sierra Leone and to have been welcomed so warmly. Long may this collaboration continue.