Pioneering Remote Care: A Vision for Mars!

Exciting news! The CGS's Co-Director, Dr. Dan Deckelbaum, is leading an innovative partnership with the Canadian Space Agency at the Steinberg Centre for Simulation and Interactive Learning. Drawing on his expertise from working with partners in war zones and under-resourced settings, he’s developing a way to deliver remote medical care on Mars!

To Learn more visit: ow.ly/3NEl50Tzrnf

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Des nouvelles passionnantes !

Dan Deckelbaum, codirecteur du CCM, dirige un partenariat novateur avec l'Agence spatiale canadienne au Centre Steinberg pour la simulation et l'apprentissage interactif. S'appuyant sur l'expertise qu'il a acquise en travaillant avec des partenaires en zones de guerre et des régions dépourvues de ressources, il met au point un moyen de fournir des soins médicaux à distance sur Mars !

Pour plus d'information visitez: ow.ly/3NEl50Tzrnf

CGS Awarded $90K Grant from RCPSC to Expand GLOBal Training Initiative

🎉 The Centre for Global Surgery (CGS), led by co-directors Dr. Deckelbaum and Dr. Grushka, is thrilled to announce that it has been awarded a $90K grant from the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, through its International Development, Aid and Collaboration funding program facilitated by Royal College Canada International. This 3-year funding will support CGS’s international training initiatives in low and middle-income countries (LMICs), focusing on Nepal, Palestine and Senegal.

This generous support will enhance CGS’s Trauma and Disaster Team Response (TDTR) course, allowing CGS to collaborate with partners and expand to more low-resource settings. The project includes training local health workers, establishing sustainable training structures through local trainers, and ensuring equal access and gender representation among participants and trainers.

By providing continuous mentorship, CGS will help trainers and trainees improve their clinical and teaching skills, fostering long-term advancements in medical education and healthcare within their communities.

CGS is excited about the impact of this funding and grateful to the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada for their belief in the mission. Stay tuned for updates on progress and follow CGS on social media to learn more about the work.

CGS’s TDTR Course Ranks 2nd on United Nation’s Platform, Enhancing Global Education Accessibility

Image courtesy of UN Global Surgery Learning Hub

The Centre for Global Surgery (CGS) is pleased to announce that, through its partnership with the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) and the Global Surgery Foundation (GSF), its Trauma and Disaster Team Response course (TDTR) has gained notable recognition on the SURGhub platform. Since its launch on June 28, 2023, the course has become the second most popular, with over 850 enrolled learners. As of September 29, 2023, it has also been available via a mobile app for both iOS and Android devices.

The TDTR course is designed to improve care management for injured patients, including disaster response, with a multi-disciplinary approach tailored for frontline healthcare workers in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). It features a hybrid-learning format, combining online lectures with in-person skill sessions, including team exercises and simulations. To explore the course in detail, click here.

Since its inception, the TDTR course has been delivered in partnership with local organizations in LMICs across Asia, Eastern Europe, sub-Saharan Africa, and the Middle East. Both the online and in-person components have been successfully implemented. The TDTR online component is available free of charge in English and French.

Participant Demographics

Since the UN SURGhub platform’s launch in 2023, over 804 learners have enrolled in the English version of the online course, and 47 in the French version. Participants from over 85 countries, particularly from LMICs, have joined, demonstrating a diverse range of specialties and professions, including Trauma and General Surgery, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Emergency, Critical Care, Orthopedics, Anesthesia, Nursery, Pediatrics, among others.

Feedback and Insights

1. Overall Satisfaction: Participants have expressed satisfaction with the course content and delivery. One participant noted, "The course provided valuable insights into managing trauma patients that are applicable to my role in an emergency and trauma setting."

2. Relevance and Practicality: Feedback highlights the course’s relevance to participants, especially in LMICs. Another participant mentioned, "The practical approach of the course, combined with theory, helps participants gain the essential knowledge needed to save lives."

3. Learning Outcomes: Participants have reported significant improvements, including better preparedness for disasters and enhanced patient-care skills. They noted a better understanding of critical care procedures and effective crisis communication.

4. Course Delivery: Instructors have been praised for their expertise and engaging teaching style. Participants appreciated the clear explanations and interactive sessions that enriched their learning experience.

5. Areas for Improvement: While feedback is mostly positive, suggestions include adding more regional case studies and increasing interactive elements in online modules.

SURGhub Platform and CGS Partners

The virtual platform has been crucial in making the CGS TDTR course accessible worldwide. It allows learners to access online lessons through their mobile devices, making it easier for healthcare workers to complete the course from almost anywhere and at their own pace. Upon completing the lessons and quizzes, participants receive a UN certificate from the platform, validating their advanced knowledge and skills.

Since the TDTR course was made available on the UN SURGhub platform, the following partner countries have completed both the online and in-person components:

• Tanzania:34 participants, Aug 16-18, 2023

• Nepal: 36 participants, Aug 29-31, 2023

• Palestine: 25 participants, Dec 26-27, 2023

• Nepal: 23 participants, Jan 11-12, 2024

• Senegal: 35 participants, Mar 20-21, 2024

• Nepal: 33 participants, May 7-9, 2024

Since the UN SURGhub platform’s launch, 186 healthcare workers from CGS’s partner institutions, including Muhimbili Orthopaedic Institute in Tanzania, Dhulikhel Hospital in Nepal, Juzoor for Health and Social Development hospital in Palestine, and the Gaston Berger University in Senegal, have completed the online component. Additional learners from around the world have also joined the platform to improve their skills.

Future Actions

In response to the growing interest from additional institutions and countries, CGS is poised to broaden the reach and content of the TDTR course. The organization plans to continue expanding its efforts to improve trauma care in low-resource settings by increasing the course’s availability and accessibility. Future actions include partnering with more local organizations, enhancing course content based on feedback, and exploring new delivery methods to support healthcare workers globally.

CGS is committed to advancing trauma care worldwide and will work towards further integrating the course into more regions, ultimately aiming to elevate care standards and support frontline workers in their critical roles.

Acknowledgements

CGS extends its gratitude to all collaborators for their invaluable contributions to the TDTR online component, to UNITAR and GSF for its support; and to the MGH Foundation and its donors for their continued backing of CGS’s international initiatives to enhance trauma care globally.

Centre for Global Surgery teams up with Senegalese colleagues on medical education, trauma initiatives

The Centre for Global Surgery (CGS) and Gaston Berger University (UGB) in Saint-Louis, Senegal, have established a dynamic collaboration spanning several years. Their joint efforts have resulted in various impactful initiatives aimed at enhancing medical education and trauma care within the region. 

In the coming months, Amber, an innovative trauma registry developed by the CGS, will also be piloted to further bolster the local health system. 

Drawing from successful deployments in other countries, Amber will serve as a catalyst for innovative improvements in the trauma system, enabling targeted investments in areas such as prevention, education, training and resource allocation. This effort will also be possible thanks to the support of the McGill Global Health Scholars Program. 

The piloting is the latest in a series of collaborations between the CGS and its partners in Senegal. Key initiatives include student exchanges facilitating information analysis and studies, curriculum development focusing on trauma care topics for medical residents, and the implementation of the CGS Trauma and Disaster Team Response course (TDTR) to empower local health professionals. 

In 2020, CGS master’s student Mihail Michalski embarked on a research endeavour in Senegal, led by Ibrahima Konaté, MD, and his team and in close collaboration with UGB. This collaboration led to the publication of this study delineating the current state of Senegal’s prehospital system and providing recommendations for enhancing its capacity and accessibility to definitive care. 

Throughout 2021, 2022 and 2023, the CGS and UGB also worked together on a comprehensive program for medical residents in Saint-Louis. Specialized trauma academic rounds were designed and delivered, initially led by CGS members and subsequently by Senegalese residents with mentorship from the CGS. The involvement of CGS members in the final oral examinations of 18 surgical residents underscores the efficacy of sustained collaboration in local development and capacity building.  

The revamped CGS TDTR course, delivered in close collaboration with UGB in French, has seen successful iterations in 2023 and 2024. The course includes two components:  

 1. An online module, featuring lectures available free of charge on the SurgHub educational platform, stemming from the CGS’s partnership with the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) 

2. An in-person module, featuring skill stations, team exercises and simulations.  

Both TDTR deployments of the in-person module in Saint-Louis were partially funded by the Quebec ministries of Health and Foreign Affairs and the Montreal General Hospital (MGH) Foundation. These courses resulted in a total of 21 local trainers, who subsequently imparted knowledge to a cohort of 60 health professionals. Feedback from course evaluations indicates a high effectiveness in enhancing the management of injured patients. 

Looking ahead, the CGS will be expanding the reach of the TDTR course through additional deployments, facilitated by a recently awarded grant from the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. These deployments will encompass a broader spectrum of participants, including firemen, paramedics and health professionals from diverse regions of Senegal, to ensure comprehensive trauma care coverage. 

Since its inception in 2011, the CGS – co-directed by Dan Deckelbaum, MDCM, and Jeremy Grushka, MDCM – has been at the forefront of research, education and training initiatives worldwide, fostering enduring partnerships like the one with UGB. The CGS extends its heartfelt gratitude to the MGH Foundation and to all CGS sponsors for their unwavering support and looks forward to continuing its collaborative efforts to advance surgical care in resource-limited settings. 

*We thank the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences for their collaboration in the writing of this note.

Empowering Healthcare Professionals: CGS's Success with the TDTR Course in Nepal

In collaboration with Dhulikhel Hospital and Kathmandu University, CGS successfully delivered its Trauma and Disaster Response (TDTR) course from May 7-9, 2024, marking the second iteration this year in Nepal. Tailored for a diverse array of healthcare professionals specializing in emergency and trauma care, the course spanned three intensive days of interactive training sessions. This initiative was supported by a grant from the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, which was awarded to CGS in 2024.

During the first day, CGS trained five instructors who subsequently imparted their knowledge to an additional 28 healthcare workers over the subsequent two days. Among the 33 participants representing various medical roles such as medical officers, interns, residents, and paramedics, the gender distribution stood at 73% male and 23% female.

Preceding the on-site sessions, participants diligently completed the first segment of the TDTR course via an online lecture series hosted at the United Nations Global Surgery Learning Hub - SurgHub. This groundwork facilitated the hands-on portion of the course, featuring skill sessions and team exercises crucial for real-world application.

Feedback from participants overwhelmingly affirmed the efficacy of the training. In post-training surveys, an astounding 100% of respondents "Strongly Agreed" or "Agreed" that they had attained the requisite knowledge and skills for effective trauma care and disaster response. Notably, the interactive nature of the sessions, coupled with practical exercises, resonated with participants, solidifying comprehension of key concepts.

To gauge the effectiveness of the hybrid-training model, CGS solicited opinions on the balance between online instruction, live Q&A sessions, and hands-on skill development. Encouragingly, 96% of respondents expressed satisfaction, affirming the relevance of the content to their professional growth.

In conclusion, the outcomes of the TDTR course support its efficacy in equipping healthcare providers with essential competencies for trauma care and disaster response. CGS's ongoing commitment to professional development in resource-limited settings, alongside its esteemed partners, signifies a steadfast dedication to strengthening local healthcare systems and fostering sustainable educational models.

2024 Innovation Competition FINALISTs

The CGS and the Steinberg Centre for Simulation and Interactive Learning are pleased to announce the active involvement and the submission of multiple proposals to the 2024 CGS Innovation Competition, the very first one for the CGS!

Officially launched on January 6, 2024, the competition accepted project submissions until March 13, 2024 – in English and French. Stemming from a panel of judges’ evaluation, the CGS is thrilled to announce the five finalist-teams:

1.           The Surgical Scholars

2.           Bottle Cric

3.           Next Generation Chest Decompression

4.           UBC Global Surgery

5.           The Super Team

Congratulations to the finalist teams on this outstanding achievement!

They will be presenting their projects at the XII CGS Global Surgery Conference on April 13, where the Winning Team will be announced.

The Winning Team will get a 3,000 USD grant so one team-representative travels to an in-person TDTR in 2024; the winning-team will also benefit from the following support provided free of charge by the Clinical Innovation Platform (CLIP):

- Introductory access to a diagnostic consultation with a translational research expert (2 hours)

- Introductory customized support by engineering design specialists and for simulation facilities access (1 hour)

- Introductory support for business development strategy (1 hour)

- Introductory project planning guidance (2 hours)

We thank all our partners for supporting the CGS Competition by disseminating it actively, and inviting all audiences to participate.

TDTR deployed twice in Palestine in 2023

Despite the ongoing conflict, Juzoor for Health and Social Development (Juzoor) –the Centre for Global Surgery (CGS) partner in Palestine–, successfully conducted the CGS Trauma and Disaster Team Response (TDTR) course in 2023 -twice. In collaboration with the CGS, 49 Palestinian health professionals were trained in the management of injured patients. The CGS TDTR course hybrid model includes a combination of an online component -didactic lectures free of charge and available on the UN platform- and an in-person one skills stations, team exercises, and simulation. 

On March 13-14 and on December 26-27, 2023, the experienced team of trainers from the Juzoor Hospital delivered the TDTR course to surgeons, physicians, nurses, paramedics, technicians and residents from several hospitals. The CGS is proud to support Juzoor in its successful transition to an independent implementation of the CGS TDTR course, which has been deployed by local leaders already trained by the CGS.

 The CGS acknowledges and thanks its Palestinian collaborators for sharing their knowledge and expertise with a wider group of health professionals to increase their service and support to the Palestinian community. The CGS is committed to continuing its long-lasting partnership to expand Juzoor’s trauma care system. 

CGS Trauma and Disaster Team Response (TDTR) course on the United Nations Platform

We are honored to announce that, derived from our partnership with the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) and the Global Surgery Foundation (GSF), the CGS updated Trauma and Disaster Team Response (TDTR) course has been available on the UN SURGhub platform since June 28, 2023. Furthermore, starting from September 29, it is now also available on the mobile app for both iOS and Android devices.

The TDTR course conveys standard of care management of the injured patient, including disaster response, and it emphasizes a multi-disciplinary approach tailored for frontline healthcare workers, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). TDTR is a hybrid-learning course comprising two components: online didactic lectures, and in-person skills sessions including team exercises and simulations. To learn more about the course click here.

Both components of the TDTR course have been successfully delivered in collaboration with our partners in LMICs in Asia, Eastern Europe, sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East.

Since 28 June 2023, when the SURGhub platform was launched, 367 learners from around the world have registered to the online component in English. The French version will also become available in the coming months.

To access to the online platform and start learning click here.

To learn directly from your phone, download the applicable app:

Android : https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.globalsurgery.school&pli=1

Apple: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/surghub/id6451036718

We wish to thank our collaborators for their invaluable contribution to the TDTR online component, and our partners at the GSF for their great support and for allowing us to offer our high-quality educational course free of charge on the SurgHub platform.

SYNTHÈSE COOPÉRATION QUÉBEC–SÉNÉGAL

Grâce au soutien financier du Gouvernement du Québec, le Centre pour la Chirurgie Mondiale (CCM), en étroite collaboration avec l'Université Gaston Berger (UGB) de Saint-Louis au Sénégal, a contribué à l’amélioration de la capacité chirurgicale du Sénégal à travers le déploiement du cours d’Intervention de traumatologie et de catastrophe en équipe (ITCE) en français.

Le cours ITCE a permis de former 46 professionnels de la santé sénégalais à la prise en charge des patients blessés. Pour faciliter le nombre de participants provenant de différentes régions du Sénégal, le cours a compris un modèle hybride avec une combinaison de deux composantes: l'une en ligne (conférences didactiques) et l'autre en personne (stations de compétences, exercices d'équipe et simulation).

Le programme a compris les activités suivantes : 

• Organisation de plusieurs réunions virtuelles de planification, avec le CCM et l’UGB, pour le déploiement du cours ;

• Développement de la composante en ligne du cours en langue française et téléchargement dans une plateforme virtuelle ;

• Dispense du cours pilote hybride aux 46 professionnels de la santé sénégalais à Saint-Louis ;

• Évaluation préliminaire du cours hybride ITCE par les 46 nouveaux professionnels formés, pour identifier les éléments potentiels à améliorer.

RESULTATS

Le 17, 20 et 21 février 2023, l’équipe du CCM a enseigné le cours à 11 chirurgiens sénégalais pour devenir des instructeurs du cours, ainsi qu’à 35 participants, y compris: 14 chirurgiens, 9 médecins, 6 infirmières, 5 étudiants en médicine et 1 étudiante en doctorat.

Comme prévu et constaté par les évaluations du cours répondues par les participants, le cours hybride ITCE a pleinement atteint les objectifs d'amélioration des connaissances des professionnels de la santé et du système de santé au Sénégal. Les connaissances transférées aux 46 participants sénégalais, à leur tour, soutiennent le développement d'un système de traumatologie mature.

Suite au succès de cette formation en partenariat avec nos collègues de l’UGB, nous envisageons l’extension de cette collaboration à travers les initiatives suivantes: 

• Transiter vers un déploiement indépendant du cours ITCE -par les dirigeants locaux étant déjà formés- et le reproduire deux fois par an, en incluant les différentes régions du Sénégal en ayant une plus grande diversité des travailleurs de santé de première ligne ;

• Travailler sur la création de registres des traumatismes pour identifier les lacunes à combler et le renforcement des systèmes de santé sénégalais ;

• Développer du matériel complémentaire pour le cours ITCE, y compris des vidéos pour les stations de compétences telles que la voie aérienne et la cricothyrotomie. 

Pour finir, le CCM reconnait et remercie nous collaborateurs -professionnels de la santé canadiens- qui ont partagé leurs connaissances et expertise dans la composante en ligne du cours ITCE. Le CCM apprécie leur participation volontaire ainsi que leur disponibilité pour rendre le cours ITCE disponible maintenant en français.

Subvention du programme de coopération bilatérale Québec-Sénégal du MRIF et le MSSS pour le Centre pour la chirurgie mondiale (CCM)

Le CCM, dirigé par les codirecteurs Dr Dan Deckelbaum et Dr Tarek Razek, a reçu une subvention du programme de coopération bilatérale Québec-Sénégal du ministère des Relations internationales et de la Francophonie (MRIF) et le ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux (MSSS). La subvention servira à renforcer les alliances et les capacités au Sénégal en offrant la version française du cours hybride d’intervention de traumatologie et de catastrophe en équipe (ITCE).

Le cours ITCE du CCM vise à former des groupes multidisciplinaires (médecins, infirmiers, paramédicaux et autres travailleurs de la santé) à la prise en charge en équipe des patients blessés en utilisant une approche efficace et fondée sur des preuves. Le nouveau modèle hybride du cours, compte tenu des limitations de déplacement imposées par la COVID-19, comprend à la fois des composantes en ligne et en personne pour faciliter et accroître l'accès au cours. Le cours comprend une combinaison de cours magistraux, d’ateliers pratiques, d'exercices en équipe et de simulations.

Cette subvention s'inscrit dans le cadre d'une collaboration de longue date avec l'Université Gaston Berger de Saint Louis au Sénégal, sous la direction du professeur Ibrahima Konaté, directeur de l'unité de formation et de recherche en sciences de la santé et son équipe.

Déploiement du cours ITCE

Depuis 2011, le Centre pour la chirurgie mondiale participe à des programmes d'éducation et de recherche visant à stimuler l'éducation de la santé, le travail clinique sur le site, les programmes d'échange et le développement de systèmes de traumatologie dans plusieurs pays africains, en coordination avec le Collège ouest-africain des médecins et le Collège des chirurgiens d’Afrique de l’Est, Central et du Sud.

Le CCM, en étroite collaboration avec l'Université Gaston Berger de Saint-Louis, appuiera à l’amélioration de la capacité chirurgicale du Sénégal. Grâce à la diffusion du cours ITCE en français, les travailleurs de la santé sénégalais :

·         développeront des compétences en matière de soins de traumatologie et de réponse aux catastrophes,

·         identifieront une équipe de traumatologie et comprendront leurs rôles et responsabilités dans la réanimation d'un patient traumatisé,

·         amélioreront les performances de l'équipe de traumatologie et

·         comprendront l'importance de la surveillance des blessures pour le développement d'interventions ciblées visant à combler des lacunes spécifiques.

La CCM est fière de joindre ses efforts à ceux du MRIF et du MSSS et apprécie leur soutien financier pour développer et diffuser la nouvelle version du cours ITCE à nos partenaires de l'Université Gaston Berger. Cette initiative permettra aux stagiaires sénégalais de répéter le cours et les connaissances selon leurs besoins et/ou de consulter le CCM afin d’approfondir les connaissances et la formation en traumatologie au Canada. Faire partie de cette coopération bilatérale Québec-Sénégal pourrait ouvrir la possibilité de travailler sur des initiatives supplémentaires comme la création de registres de traumatologie pour renforcer le système de santé sénégalais ainsi que l'expansion de nouvelles collaborations dans le reste de l'Afrique de l'Ouest par le biais du Collège Ouest Africain des Chirurgiens.