Professor Jean Marie Kasia, professor at the Yaoundé 1 University has worked 12 years to accomplish his dream supported by the late Professor Maurice Bruhat and the president of Cameroon Paul Biya and the foundation inspirer Chantal Biya, wife of the president. It took him quite some efforts to realise the CHRACERH (Centre Hospitalier de Reserche en Chirurgie Endoscopique et Réproduction Humaine,) a 200 bed hospital dedicated solely to women.
The structure is equipped with 4 endoscopic theatre suites and one for caesarean sections, a conference room for 300 attendees and a room for hands on and the possibility to anesthetise nine pigs. It is therefore the first Endoscopic Training Centre in this region of the world. 250 people attended the opening ceremony and the conference was opened by the Vice Chancellor of the University. Professor J.M. Kasia invited Em. Professor Bruno van Herendael, President of the ISGE, to perform the first operation in the newly opened hospital.
I did perform an operative hysteroscopy. ISGE has to thank their structural sponsor Karl Storz Gmbh who sent two of his people to assure that the live surgery could be done in the best possible circumstances. Professor Kasia and Professor van Herendael performed seven interventions: operative hysteroscopies (n=3) and laparoscopies (n=4) transmitted Live to the conference hall and the participants did ask questions to the surgeons. It has to be said that very specific questions have been asked concerning the handling of the different problems that can be encountered during endoscopic surgery.
The event was broadcasted on the national television and the ISGE President was able to explain the mission statement of the ISGE. Lectures on different topics alternated with the operations the first two days. On Wednesday, Ornella Sizzi, Medical Director of the ISGE and Alfonso Rossetti member of the ISGE board, joined the faculty. On Thursday and Friday the actual Workshop on Suturing following the Format of the ISGE copy righted course was taught to 36 attendees.
Both Ornella Sizzi and Alfonso Rossetti had an interview on the national television and did explain the necessity to have a training in endoscopic surgery with emphasis on the fact that endoscopy allows the patients, the women in charge of 80% of the traditional economy in the West African countries, to go back to work within the second day after the operation. We had to divide the participant in two groups and while one group had hands-on training, the other had the theoretical lectures. The hospitality of our local host has been phenomenal.
On the last day the Medical Director and myself had a long discussion with the Vice-Chancellor of the University Yaoundé 1 and the conclusion of this talks is that ISGE will sign an covenant with the university concerning the accreditation of endoscopic surgeons in Cameroon and the surrounding countries. The Chancellor of the University Yaoundé 1 has sanctioned our discussions in the meantime.
Your president
Bruno van Herendael
