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Surgical Mission Support
SOS: Surgeons OverSeas
SOS: Surgeons OverSeas
The Surgeons OverSeas (SOS) flagship program aims to provide support to local surgeons, hospitals and ministries of health to assist them in developing long-term surgical capacity. SOS programs concentrate on emergency and essential surgical care - basic and life saving procedures that can easily be undertaken and taught in resource-limited environments. SOS also provides a forum for surgeons and residents in developed countries to more easily connect with colleagues in developing countries.
The Surgeons OverSeas (SOS) philosophy is one of empowering local surgeons and physicians to safely provide the surgical care that is vitally needed for many of the world’s poorest populations. The aim is not to provide a “Western” standard of care, but to develop local solutions within the constraints of each local situation.
Funding for these projects is from individual private donors, foundations and through creative partnerships with the international business community.
Local Support:
Surgeons OverSeas (SOS) programs began in February 2008 in Sierra Leone. Our aim is to expand these programs over the next five years to a minimum of 20 facilities throughout the developing world.
Support-a-surgeon: This program provides support to local operating room healthcare workers. Monetary levels are determined on a facility by facility basis based on consultation with local administrators and ministries of health. A local contact person is necessary to assure equitable distribution of funds. Persons who receive funds confirm their desire to abide by the principles of the society and agree to use standard precautions.
S.H.A.R.P (Surgery and HIV/AIDS Response Program): This program provides local operating room healthcare workers with protective gear to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS, hepatitis and other blood borne diseases. Eye protection, aprons, rubber boots are locally procured when possible and provided to health facilities. Educational sessions and an advocacy campaign also address the need for legislation to provide such safety equipment for all healthcare workers.
E2SC (Emergency and Essential Surgical Care) Workshops: Training workshops teaching emergency and essential surgical care are facilitated and local surgeons are encouraged where possible to take the lead role as educators.
Supplies and equipment: Based on assessments performed by SOS and requests by the staff at the hospitals and the Ministry of Health, a list of needs are developed and these materials are then sourced and delivered with the assistance of a medical recovery organization.
Missions:
SOS surgical missions are not aimed at taking away from the programs of other NGOs, but rather to compliment the other SOS programs and enhance local surgical capability. Aside from providing the information and technical support for surgeons to volunteer individually on missions, in the future we hope to have three different types of funded SOS surgical missions: Internatinal Humanitarian Surgeon missions, Global Surgery Fellowship missions, and Educational Surgery missions.
International Humanitarian Surgeon missions: Surgeon members of SOS will take part in 1-3 month missions at selected facilities. The goal of these missions will be to provide experienced manpower and be involved in training and conducting E2SC workshops.
Global Surgery Fellowship missions: In the future we hope to establish, along with University training programs, an SOS Clinical Global Surgery Fellowship Program. This program will entail board eligible (surgeon who completed general surgery training) surgical fellows to be assigned to selected facilities. It is hoped that the clinical component of the fellowship will be supplemented by an MPH.
Educational Surgery missions: In collaboration with departments of surgery in the US, PGY-3 or PG-Y 4 residents will rotate through selected facilities. Residents will be accompanied by a surgical mentor (board certified) from their program staff or from a pool of SOS members. These missions will be for 4-8 weeks. The teams will function as a workforce extender, be involved in exchange of knowledge and information and learn how to function in a resource limited setting.
Research:
Situational analysis: To understand the baseline conditions and to develop our strategy, the first item for each country is to conduct a surgical situational analysis. We developed a survey based on Personnel, Infrastructure, Procedures, Equipment and Supplies (PIPES) and created an index to measure progress over time.
Population based survey: To understand the baseline incidence and prevalence of surgically treatable conditions a population based cluster sampling survey we developed the Surgeons OverSeas Assessment of Surgical need (SOSAS). A pilot was undertaken in Sierra Leone and a full country survey was performed in Rwanda. Additonal surveys are planned for Sierra Leone, Mongolia, Haiti, Tanzania, Nigeria and Malawi.
The Surgeons OverSeas (SOS) philosophy is one of empowering local surgeons and physicians to safely provide the surgical care that is vitally needed for many of the world’s poorest populations. The aim is not to provide a “Western” standard of care, but to develop local solutions within the constraints of each local situation.
Funding for these projects is from individual private donors, foundations and through creative partnerships with the international business community.
Local Support:
Surgeons OverSeas (SOS) programs began in February 2008 in Sierra Leone. Our aim is to expand these programs over the next five years to a minimum of 20 facilities throughout the developing world.
Support-a-surgeon: This program provides support to local operating room healthcare workers. Monetary levels are determined on a facility by facility basis based on consultation with local administrators and ministries of health. A local contact person is necessary to assure equitable distribution of funds. Persons who receive funds confirm their desire to abide by the principles of the society and agree to use standard precautions.
S.H.A.R.P (Surgery and HIV/AIDS Response Program): This program provides local operating room healthcare workers with protective gear to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS, hepatitis and other blood borne diseases. Eye protection, aprons, rubber boots are locally procured when possible and provided to health facilities. Educational sessions and an advocacy campaign also address the need for legislation to provide such safety equipment for all healthcare workers.
E2SC (Emergency and Essential Surgical Care) Workshops: Training workshops teaching emergency and essential surgical care are facilitated and local surgeons are encouraged where possible to take the lead role as educators.
Supplies and equipment: Based on assessments performed by SOS and requests by the staff at the hospitals and the Ministry of Health, a list of needs are developed and these materials are then sourced and delivered with the assistance of a medical recovery organization.
Missions:
SOS surgical missions are not aimed at taking away from the programs of other NGOs, but rather to compliment the other SOS programs and enhance local surgical capability. Aside from providing the information and technical support for surgeons to volunteer individually on missions, in the future we hope to have three different types of funded SOS surgical missions: Internatinal Humanitarian Surgeon missions, Global Surgery Fellowship missions, and Educational Surgery missions.
International Humanitarian Surgeon missions: Surgeon members of SOS will take part in 1-3 month missions at selected facilities. The goal of these missions will be to provide experienced manpower and be involved in training and conducting E2SC workshops.
Global Surgery Fellowship missions: In the future we hope to establish, along with University training programs, an SOS Clinical Global Surgery Fellowship Program. This program will entail board eligible (surgeon who completed general surgery training) surgical fellows to be assigned to selected facilities. It is hoped that the clinical component of the fellowship will be supplemented by an MPH.
Educational Surgery missions: In collaboration with departments of surgery in the US, PGY-3 or PG-Y 4 residents will rotate through selected facilities. Residents will be accompanied by a surgical mentor (board certified) from their program staff or from a pool of SOS members. These missions will be for 4-8 weeks. The teams will function as a workforce extender, be involved in exchange of knowledge and information and learn how to function in a resource limited setting.
Research:
Situational analysis: To understand the baseline conditions and to develop our strategy, the first item for each country is to conduct a surgical situational analysis. We developed a survey based on Personnel, Infrastructure, Procedures, Equipment and Supplies (PIPES) and created an index to measure progress over time.
Population based survey: To understand the baseline incidence and prevalence of surgically treatable conditions a population based cluster sampling survey we developed the Surgeons OverSeas Assessment of Surgical need (SOSAS). A pilot was undertaken in Sierra Leone and a full country survey was performed in Rwanda. Additonal surveys are planned for Sierra Leone, Mongolia, Haiti, Tanzania, Nigeria and Malawi.
