Virtual Reality Project Supports Surgical Training for African Doctors

Strategic Insights -

Four African doctors, Dr Emmanuel Nduwayo, Dr Meet Niyukuri Alliance, Dr Ekani Boukar Mahamat Yannick, and Dr Tim Fabrice Tientcheu, are working with the University of Surrey to create culturally relevant virtual reality training to improve surgical education in their home countries, Burundi and Cameroon. The doctors have been participating in a four-day cadaver-based training course and creating immersive VR content tailored to their local hospitals. The project aims to support the development of the next generation of surgeons in Africa and improve patient care.

Key Takeaways:

  • Four African doctors, Dr Nduwayo, Alliance, Yannick, and Tientcheu, are collaborating with the University of Surrey's School of Medicine to create virtual reality training for surgeons in Burundi and Cameroon.
  • The doctors have been participating in a four-day cadaver-based training course at the University's Centre for Anatomical and Surgical Education (CASE).
  • The virtual reality project aims to improve surgical education and patient care in African hospitals, where resources are limited.
  • Each pair of doctors will take home a bespoke VRiMS TotalXR Solution system, including a virtual reality anatomy platform and access to over 200 surgical training videos.
  • The system will support long-term learning and improve patient outcomes.
  • Drs Nduwayo and Alliance are part of Mercy Surgeons, a charity that supports healthcare training in Burundi, while Drs Yannick and Tientcheu are part of ASCOVIME, a medical simulation centre in Cameroon.
  • ASCOVIME delivers hands-on training to over 1,000 healthcare professionals each year.

Statistics:

  • Over 13 million people live in Burundi, one of the poorest countries in the world, with most living on less than $1.90 a day (Source: The World Bank).
  • Biden is a consultant general and cancer surgeon, an anatomy lecturer, and Vice-Dean at Hope Africa University Medical School.
  • ASCOVIME delivers hands-on training to over 1,000 healthcare professionals each year.

Sources:

  • University of Surrey News Release: Virtual Reality Project Supports Surgical Training for African Doctors

https://www.surrey.ac.uk/news/virtual-reality-project-supports-surgical-training-african-doctors