It’s been a busy and exciting start to 2026 for us. Mark and Greg were back out in Tanzania, this time visiting Sengerema Designated District Hospital (SDDH) in the Lake Zone of Tanzania. Located 70km from Mwanza (the nearest airport), the drive is much easier now following the recent completion of the vast Magafuli Bridge (3.2km long!). What would have taken at least 3 hours previously (perhaps even 5 if the ferry was mistimed), now takes under an hour. It has also eliminated many hazardous late night small boat crossings (often of those seeking healthcare).
We are very grateful to Dr Vihar Kotecha, an inspiring local surgeon based at Bugando Medical Centre, who facilitated our visit to Sengerema. He is our Lake Zonal lead and joined us as faculty for this trip. SDDH itself has undergone impressive improvements in recent years, overseen by our dynamic hosts Erik and Jiska Staal (Consultant Surgeon & Nurse) with backing from Dutch sponsors. Its solar and battery array enables the whole hospital site to be almost entirely self-sufficient with electricity, also eliminating problematic power cuts. The brand-new theatre block was opened in 2025 and is incredibly impressive – as good as you might find in any high-income country. It is fantastic to see what can be achieved with the right vision, dedication and of course the necessary financial backing.
The initial part of our schedule was focused upon our evolving collaboration with VRiMS. Our hope is to create a SWIFTSS virtual classroom within their incredibly impressive experience. With cameras aplenty and even attached to the operating light, we filmed intra-operative hernia repair content. The first day dealt with more straightforward cases, showcasing ‘textbook technique’. The second was dedicated to more complex cases, reflecting our approach to provide useful content that mirrors the realities and challenges of hernia surgery in Africa. Things went really well and our massive thanks to Prof Jag Dhandar and Charlotte of VRiMS for their patience and expertise. We are looking forward to seeing how the material all comes together.
For the second part of our schedule, we were joined by Dr Mugisha Nkoronko (our overall in-country lead), who managed to create a window to join us within his busy schedule as MAT President. This latter part of our trip was focused upon ensuring that Sengerema has everything it needs to offer an Affordable Mesh Hernia Surgery programme going forwards. We provided an autoclave and supply of mesh, also ensuring that the CSSD team were confident in its preparation and sterilisation. We then enjoyed a busy surgical schedule, supporting and training the local surgical team to help them refine skills and gain confidence. It was another incredibly successful trip, with many great new friendships. It is a privilege to have been invited here, and fantastic to collaborate with such inspiring people. We leave, confident that their mesh hernia programme will continue to thrive.
As always a massive thank you to all those involved. Together we are making small steps towards a better future for healthcare in Africa.
