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.