The NEED: There is currently one formally fellowship trained Pediatric Orthopedic surgeon in Uganda, a country with an estimated population of 49 million. One half of the population is under 17 years of age. For pediatric orthopedics the ratio of surgeon per population is at minimum 1:400,000, therefore by developed world standards Uganda could benefit from 115+ Pediatric Orthopedic sub-specialists. Nation-wide one orthopedic residency program currently graduates 8 surgeons per year. The vast majority of orthopedic surgeons are generalists/ traumatologists.
The PROGRAM:
COEDN investigated and found CoRSU Hospital near Entebbe. It is a NGO (Christian Blind Mission)- well run and well resourced 120 bed specialty hospital. It is widely regarded as the top center for pediatric orthopedic and plastic surgery in Uganda. Each COEDN surgeon-educator will spend 4-6 weeks at CoRSU, training 3 fully trained and well qualified orthopedic surgeons currently employed there. We will also help train select non-MD health care providers, such as orthopedic nurses and technicians. Rotations will be sequenced in order to provide a continuous 18 month period of training. Our trainers are recently retired highly experienced and qualified leaders in the field, members of the Pediatric Orthopedic Society of North America or an international equivalent.
The program commenced in December 2019. After 3 months of training it was put on hold due to the pandemic. We restarted in September 2022 and we are training our fellows through to their exams in December 2023.
For true sustainable on-going graduate medical education, these 3 fully trained and accredited Pediatric Orthopedic Surgeons will stay on at CoRSU and form the nucleus for a permanent formal accredited training center in Pediatric Orthopedics serving fellows requesting training from Uganda and all over east, central and southern Africa.
Our FELLOWS:
