MÉDECINS DU MONDE

Chirurgie
Technical
skills and
effectiveness
Humanitarian surgery has to
adapt itself continually to
take account of shortages
of local equipment and of
political situations that are
often changing. Although
emergency surgery, such as
we practise in the north of
Ivory Coast to save people’s
lives in conflict situations, is
our first calling, these days it
tends to be more diversified.
Therefore, more and more
programmes are aimed at
training staff in remote
hospitals in basic surgical
techniques, as is the case in
Ethiopia. “These projects
allow both theoretical and
practical knowledge to be
passed on, while addressing
the need to be suited to the
situation, the available
means and the local
culture,” says Françoise
Tandonnet, an anaesthetist
on the Northern Ethiopian
project. In fact, for 15 years
Opération Sourire has been
working with those
disfigured by war, disease or
malnutrition and has been
addressing the threefold
objective laid down by the
association: operating, of
course, but also ensuring
patient follow-up after the
operation, and training local
staff. Today, 70% of
problems are dealt with by
local practitioners.
MDM STÉPHANE LEHR
LAHCÈNE ABIB