A second training workshop for minimal invasive surgery or laparoscopic surgery is underway at the University of Zimbabwe International Centre for Surgical Simulation (UZICSS), with students in Zimbabwe getting knowledge from other experts from the UK, Kenya, Tanzania and the US.
By Kudakwashe Pembere
With Professor Bijendra Patel returning to the country to teach this subject, the first training was held this April.
In an interview with UZ Professorial chair of surgical sciences Professor Godfrey Muguti, he said they facilitators from Kenya and Tanzania in country to impart their expertise to the trainees.
We are again back at the UZ International Centre for Surgical simulation for another major international laparoscopic surgery workshop. We did the very first one, in April. So on this occasion, we have facilitators from the United Kingdom, the United States, from Kenya, from Tanzania who are part of the faculty in addition to our own Zimbabwean faculty who are supervising the workshop and ensuring that trainees are empowered with the right skills in laparoscopic surgery,” he said.
He added that some returned to advance their skills in laparoscopic surgery.
“We have on this occasion about 20 participants. Roughly, half are doing advanced laparoscopic surgery and the other half are doing basic laparoscopic surgeries. The first workshop went on very well and some of the trainees have decided to come back to try and improve and consolidate on their laparoscopic surgery skills. So far things have been going on very well,” he said.
The last day, Saturday, will be a recap of what the trainees would have learned during the course of the workshop.
“The workshop actually ends on Saturday and on Saturday we will just be doing some teaching to try and reinforce what has happened during the workshop,” Prof Muguti said.
Widening the training scope of medical disciplines, Prof Muguti noted that they will be having eight international workshops next year.
“The UZICSS is truly becoming busy. From 2024, we have scheduled roughly a total of about eight workshops that will run throughout the year. And these workshops will be in different surgical specialties like orthopedics, laparoscopic surgery in general surgery, laparoscopic in gynecology, minimal access surgery in ENT, microsurgery in plastic and reconstructive surgery. So far, I can say the training centre is getting busier and is fulling its mandate of ensuring that surgeons and trainees in Zimbabwe are empowered with the right skills in this modern type of surgery,” he said.
