October-December 2021 - General Surgery telemedicine training course with SBOMS (Syrian Board of Medical Specialties) and the David Nott Foundation

SBMS members contributed to the delivery of surgical training to Syrian surgeons with SBOMS. Such courses are essential to support the maintenance and development of essential skills.

SBMS members have been active in support the training of healthcare workers in Syria and Syrian refugee hosting countries as well providing medical and humanitarian relief. We collaborate with a range of actors including Syria Relief, UOSSM and SBOMS (Syrian Board of Medical Specialities.)

We have supported a range of projects including:

Opthalmology provision on the Syrian-Turkish border. A group of expatriate Ophthalmologists from the UK and beyond have been assessing the needs and visiting the affected areas under the auspices of the SBMS. In April 2014, we established an Eye Unit as part of a local hospital on the Syrian – Turkish border. We raised over US$ 50K to procure equipment for ophthalmic surgery which was shipped to Syria. Much more has been donated by various UK hospitals, medical representatives, and European and American colleagues. Expat ophthalmologists visit on a rotating timetable, to support the Unit which now employs five local ophthalmologists, and a small team of nurses and technicians. Salaries totalling $8500 a month are provided by the Charity Syria Relief. Funding for consumables ($12K/month) is provided by a variety of International NGOs and donations by SBMS members.

 

March 2022 - HEST (Hostile Environments Surgical Training) Course in Gaziantep, Turkey

In March 2022, SBMS collaborated with the David Nott Foundation, SBOMS (Syrian Board of Medical Specialties) and Syria Relief to deliver the HEST (Hostile Environments Surgical Training) Course for Syrian doctors. A number of SBMS surgeons travelled to Turkey from the UK to contribute to the course which is essential for Syria doctors who face challenging operating circumstances resulting from the conflict.

March 2022: Former SBMS chair Dr Yaser Sabouni provides life-changing surgeries to Syrian refugees in Lebanon in collaboration with MAPS (Multi-Aid Programs)

March 2022: SBMS are pleased to announce the completion of a surgical mission named ‘Mission of Hope’ with MAPS (Multi-Aid Programs) with whom Dr Yaser Sabouni (SBMS’s former chair,) a highly-skilled paediatric orthopaedic consultant at Leeds Teaching Hospital in the UK, volunteered his skills in Lebanon. He examined and provided free treatment for 100 children (including the application of up-to-date Ponseti treatments for foot deformities) and performed 19 complex surgeries on children with neglected or recurrent developmental hip dysplasia, neglected foot deformities and corrected leg length disparities.

To ensure optimal post-operative management, he also trained a female Lebanese orthopaedic surgeon to follow up the treated cases and develop her skills to treat more Lebanese and Syrian children in Lebanon. See here for more details

This follows on from a previous visit in April 2019 to Lebanon where he and a team of specialists performed specialist operations in Bekaa and Tripoli where large numbers of Syrian refugees reside. For that mission, SBMS collaborated with SAMS (Syrian American Medical Society) to undertake this urgent work. The team saw over 12000 patients in 3 days of clinics and spent 4 days in theatre during which they performed 19 major surgical procedures. 

National Syrian Project for Prosthetic Limbs

The Syrian conflict has had a devastating effect on the population with hundreds of thousands affected by life changing injuries including amputations. SBMS has joined forces with Syria Relief, Every Syrian, and the Syrian Expatriate Medical Association (SEMA), to set up a visionary and pioneering project to provide prosthetic limbs to the ever-increasing numbers of amputees in Syria. Since it was launched in early 2013, the NSPPL Fitting Centre in Reyhanli in southern Turkey has fitted prosthetic limbs to over 1,000 amputees, and is currently fitting over 60 new limbs every month. Furthermore, the NSPPL has launched a mobile clinic in November 2014, to provide this fantastic service to amputees in Syria, who are unable to make it to the NSPPL Centre in Reyhanli in Turkey.

Bab Al Hawa Hospital in northern Syria

We have also supported the establishment of Bab Al Hawa Hospital (BHH) is the largest and busiest hospital in northern Syria, and is situated on the Turkish/Syrian border. This was set up under the auspices of UOSSM and was funded by a collaborative effort between Syria Relief, Canadian Relief For Syria, and Association D’aide Aux Victimes En Syrie (AAVS).  SBMS supports the technical and professional expertise required to run this vital and pioneering project. Bab Al-Hawa Hospital treats about 3,500 patients a month, including emergency treatment and elective work. Facilities at this hospital include an Intensive Care Unit, 6 Operating Theatres, 2 Treatment Rooms, a Blood Bank and a CT Scanner. The Hospital provides treatments in a number of specialities, including orthopaedic surgery, general surgery, vascular surgery, ENT, reconstructive surgery, maxillofacial surgery, ophthalmic surgery and thoracic surgery. Our excellent surgical and medical training programmes are offering Syrian Healthcare Workers excellent opportunities to develop their skills.

National Centre for Mental Health

The ongoing conflict that has been raging in Syria following uprisings in March 2011 has, inevitably, caused a significant rise in mental health problems, particularly amongst Syrian children.  A recent study carried out on 1,500 Syrian schoolchildren has shown that a staggering 96% needed psychological treatment. The SBMS, in conjunction with Syria Relief, launched the National Centre for Mental Health, under the auspices of UOSSM, to offer psychosocial support to children and their parents. It is run by highly qualified mental health practitioners and nurses and operates close to the Turkish-Syrian border, offering some unique and vital services, including rehabilitation for Special Needs children, as well as Outreach and Training.  In addition, the NCMH conducts valuable research to allow scientific assessment of the situation on the ground. The NCMH is a vital part of our Medical programme, designed to assist families and individuals in coming to terms with their situation, by offering them coping strategies and helping to rebuild their family lives.