Surgical Training on the Ground “Chirurgie Solidaire”

Training on the ground is the most efficient way to improve surgical skills in developing countries with minimal adverse effects. For a foreign NGO, whatever its field may be (basic or more advanced surgery) the only way of training on the ground is the « compagnonnage », that is:- exchange between one human person and another in a climate of mutual trust and motivation, which doesn't rule out an initial collaboration agreement ;- adapted to local conditions: material precariousness, levels of skills, specific pathologies, cultural factors… ;- always adressing the three key pillars of a surgical team: the surgeon, the anaesthetist and the nurse (scrub, circulating or ward nurse) ;- based on three modalities of training: practical mentoring in the performance of everyday activities, interactive theoretical support centred on practice, workshops… ;- without ever losing sight of our ultimate goal: to train local trainers.