Taking our Training Online
To do what we can for our surgeons, we have launched a fortnightly webinar series led by David Nott and our faculty. During these sessions, we invite medics from low-resource settings to present their surgical cases to each other and to our training faculty so that they can share experience and advice.
We’ve also launched a COVID-specific webinar series which aims to provide any information, support and advice that we can to surgeons, particularly around how to look after their own safety when operating on COVID-positive or unknown patients. David has brought on UK-based intensivists and anaesthetists to help with this and we are pleased to have opened it up to medics beyond our list of surgeons.
These online sessions have been very well received by the doctors. Lucien Wasingya, who we trained on a UK-based course back in 2018, said: "With advice from David and others from across the world on this webinar, I hope we can improve protection for our surgical teams and continue to provide surgery for those that absolutely need it."
We plan for these webinars to endure beyond this pandemic as an excellent way of supporting surgeons and keeping in touch with them.
War Doctor Heroes: Meet Dr Binod
We are proud to introduce Dr Binod Dangal in the latest instalment of our War Doctor Heroes series, which celebrates our global network of surgeons.
Binod grew up in Sindhupalchok, a remote, mountainous village in Nepal. Thanks to the support of a volunteer teacher from Italy, Binod was inspired to study medicine and, after training abroad, he now serves the community in the Dolakha region.
Nepal often suffers from earthquakes and landslides, and the difficult geographical terrain creates a barrier for Nepalese people seeking healthcare, particularly in the rural regions. Binod's patients sometimes have to travel for hours along bumpy, winding roads to reach the hospital, where a lack of resources often presents another obstacle to surgical treatment.
In 2018, the David Nott Foundation was able to offer Dr Binod a full scholarship to our UK-based STAE course. During this specialised training course, Binod was taught the proper management of orthopaedic and vascular injuries in low-resource settings, skills that he was able to put to use almost immediately.
Indeed, the day after he returned to Nepal, a nine-year-old child was brought to his hospital with a broken leg. She had fallen from a height and her left femur was completely crushed. Using the skills learnt on the STAE course, Binod was able to repair the blood vessels, externally fixate the bone, and perform a skin graft to repair her leg.
“With patience, teamwork and the right skills, it is even possible to manage complex trauma cases in low resource settings."
Doctors like Binod are at the heart of everything the Foundation seeks to achieve. With your support, we can train even more surgeons, helping them to serve the communities that need them most.
The Lancet: The COVID-19 response for vulnerable people affected by conflict
David Nott writes for The Lancet:
Next year I will have worked full time in the UK's National Health Service (NHS) for 40 years. I seem to be a survivor not only from the political rollercoaster that various governments have enacted on the NHS, but also from volunteering my surgical skills in places affected by conflict and natural disasters for the past 25 years. The experiences of the patients I have served whose lives have been impacted by war, injustice, and inhumanity during this time have given me insight into what life is really about. Every person on this planet has a right to live and survive by whatever means possible. Having seen the adverse health impacts of conflict and humanitarian disaster on patients, I understand the mass movement of unprotected people from war to places of relative calm.
Many of the estimated 70·8 million forcibly displaced people worldwide live in insanitary and inhospitable conditions, sometimes up to six families living in one tent in a 3 m area. At a time when so many people are living under lockdown because of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, it is important to highlight the dreadful conditions that displaced people endure, which I have personally witnessed in refugee camps throughout the world. Apart from difficult living conditions in these camps, many people share one latrine and washing facilities and hundreds queue for food every day. People tolerate such conditions because they want to live. They have been forced to live this way by inhumane acts in conflict and authoritarianism.
Many people in high-income countries might think that these humanitarian problems happen to other people far away and have little to do with them. At the start of this year with the first reports of a new virus in China, some people watched with casual nonchalance. Even when Joseph Wu and colleagues reported in late January that COVID-19 was going to become a global pandemic requiring substantial preparation, this warning received insufficient attention. Too many of us were lulled into a false sense of security by shrugging politicians. Looking back now, it is hard to understand from a scientific and epidemiological standpoint that there seemed to be no one with sufficient leverage to wave that red flag very early on.
Read the full article here.
April 2020 Newsletter
Hello and welcome to our latest newsletter.
In this update, we will share our new arrangements in light of COVID-19, bring you the story of a Syrian surgeon and share the superb fundraising efforts of our Somerset supporters.
Thank you, as always, for your continued support and we hope you are keeping well at home.
A Note on COVID-19
Since our last newsletter, COVID-19 has developed into a global pandemic. We understand that this is a significant cause of anxiety for many, so we would first and foremost like to extend our wishes that you and your loved ones are safe and well.
Following the latest government advice, the David Nott Foundation office has closed and our staff are now working from home. The best way to contact us is via email at [email protected]
We have also had to postpone our surgical training courses and are currently developing new ways of reaching surgeons to provide them with training and advice. The pipeline of courses in planning continues to grow with a wide variety of partners to help train surgeons operating in austere conditions across the Middle East and Africa. We’re looking forward to rolling these out as soon as we can.
Spotlight on Dr Ayman
We first met Ayman back in 2013, when David Nott was volunteering in Alzarour Hospital, Aleppo. Whilst treating patients, David was able to teach Ayman and his team a variety of specialised surgical procedures that Ayman was later able to use to save lives.
One patient that Ayman especially remembers was an 11-month-old baby girl. Her father carried her to the hospital after she was wounded in a bomb explosion. She had a severe leg wound and the orthopaedic surgeon wanted to perform an amputation.
Fortunately, Dr Ayman knew there was a chance her leg could be saved. He successfully performed a vein bypass to restore the blood supply and later her leg was externally fixated so that the bone could heal properly.
To Ayman’s immense happiness, the little girl recently started walking.
You can read the full story and hear about our other war doctors here.
Star Fundraisers
Back in February, two small businesses put their heads together and came up with a brilliant fundraising idea – a charity dinner! Based in Chilcompton, Somerset, ‘The Holy Cow’ café and ‘The Pudding Kitchen’ pulled together a delicious four course meal, complete with craft drinks and a tasty dessert selection.
Rachel Middleton, from The Pudding Kitchen, was inspired after her friend sent her a link to David’s Desert Island Discs. After that, she was hooked! We’re thrilled that the team managed to raise over £1,000 for us - enough to train one surgeon on our overseas HEST course.
We love hearing about your creative fundraising efforts, so let us know if you’ve got anything exciting planned.
To the frontline heroes: thank you
War Doctor Heroes: Meet Dr Ayman
Meet Dr Mohammed Ayman, a Syrian vascular surgeon and our latest War Doctor Hero.
We first met Ayman back in 2013, when David Nott was volunteering in Alzarour Hospital, Aleppo. Whilst treating patients, David was able to teach Ayman and his team a variety of specialised surgical procedures that Ayman was later able to use to save casualties.
At this time, medical workers and facilities were a target. As Ayman put it, "the hospitals in Aleppo were a kind of magnet for attacks.”
It was too dangerous to go outside as barrel bombs and missiles could fall at any time so Dr Ayman and his colleagues had to work, sleep and eat in their underground hospital.
The heavy siege also meant resources were always in short supply. They lacked the right sutures to stitch up patients and there wasn’t enough food and milk to feed malnourished children. Nonetheless, Dr Ayman did what he could to take care of his patients. “All the Syrian people in Aleppo needed us, so we had to be stronger for them and we had to adapt to the new situation as best we could. We wanted them to always feel that they were not alone.”
One patient that Ayman especially remembers was an 11 month old baby girl. Her father carried her to the hospital after she was wounded in a bomb explosion. She had a severe leg wound and the orthopaedic surgeon wanted to perform an amputation. Fortunately, Dr Ayman knew there was a chance her leg could be saved. He successfully performed a vein bypass to restore the blood supply and later her leg was externally fixated so that the bone could heal properly.
To Ayman’s immense happiness, the little girl recently started walking.
Ayman is one of fourteen surgeons who will be joining us for our next UK-based training course. He hopes that the skills learnt on this course will enable him to better serve the Syrian people when he is able to return to his home country.
You can read about some of our other War Doctor Heroes by clicking here.
A Tasty Fundraiser!
Back in February, two small businesses put their heads together and came up with a brilliant fundraising idea – a charity dinner! Based in Chilcompton, Somerset, ‘The Holy Cow’ café and ‘The Pudding Kitchen’ pulled together a delicious four course meal, complete with craft drinks and a tasty dessert selection.
Rachel Middleton, from The Pudding Kitchen, was inspired after her friend sent her a link to David’s Desert Island Discs. After that, she was hooked! We’re thrilled that the team managed to raise over £2,000 which was split between us and the Wallace and Gromit Appeal – another fantastic cause.
We love hearing about your creative fundraising efforts, so let us know if you’ve got anything exciting planned.
War Doctor has landed in the United States!
War Doctor, David's harrowing memoirs of surgery on the front-lines, has arrived in book shops across the US. Spanning over 25 years, David Nott recollects his time volunteering in some of the world's worst humanitarian catastrophes.
To purchase a copy or gift one to your friends across the pond, you can visit Abrams Books' website by clicking here.
"Culminating in his recent trips to war-torn Syria—and the untold story of his efforts to help secure a humanitarian corridor out of besieged Aleppo to evacuate some 50,000 people—War Doctor is a heart-stopping and moving blend of medical memoir, personal journey, and nonfiction thriller that provides unforgettable, at times raw, insight into the human toll of war." - Abrams Books
February 2020 Newsletter
Hello and welcome to our first newsletter of 2020!
In this month's issue, we reflect on our recent mission to Yemen, and share Dr Koma Akim's story. We'll also be offering you a chance to run the Royal Parks Half Marathon on behalf of the Foundation!
Thank you as always for your continued support and generosity.
HEST Yemen
The DNF team, in partnership with MSF Spain, recently returned from our latest mission to Yemen, which brought in 31 surgeons from across the country for a specialised five-day training course.
Since 2015, Yemen has been the stage of one of the world's worst humanitarian catastrophes. At the front-lines of this conflict are the surgeons and medics who face the challenge of saving lives with limited training and a lack of resources. Our Hostile Environment Surgical Training course (HEST) was designed to confront this problem, training doctors in a wide range of trauma topics including obstetrics, abdominal, orthopaedics and paediatrics.
Using our bespoke body simulator, our cutting edge VR learning experience and a range of case studies, our Faculty was successful in equipping these surgeons with the specialised skills they need to be the best doctors possible.
You can read more about this course and our other missions here.
On your marks....get set.....go!
Last October, we were thrilled to have six runners take on the Royal Parks Half Marathon on behalf of DNF. A first for the Foundation! Raising over £10,000 between them, their efforts were enough to fund ten places on our overseas training course.
Building on last year's success, we have reserved nine spots for the 21km race this October. So, if you're looking for a challenge and would like to actively raise money for the Foundation, please fill out this Google form to tell us about your motivation for running the Royal Parks Half.
Places will go fast and the Google form closes on Friday 21st February so be quick!
Spotlight on Dr Koma Akim
In this latest instalment of our #wardoctorheroes series, we're proud to introduce Dr Koma Akim from South Sudan.
Koma regularly deals with gunshot and arrow wounds as a result of cattle rustling and violent ethnic clashes. The patients that survive long enough to reach his care are often in a very bad state, and Dr Akim lacks the medical resources to treat them.
In 2019, Koma attended our London-based STAE course where he learnt vital plastic surgery and vascular skills. He told us: “being able to practise it means I have the confidence to do it in a real situation. If I can do it, I can teach it.”
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War Doctor Heroes: Meet Dr Koma
We are delighted to feature Dr Koma Akim, a general surgeon from South Sudan, as our latest War Doctor Hero.
South Sudan is the world's youngest sovereign state, having gained its independence from Sudan in 2011.
Since December 2013, the country has been embroiled in a civil war that has resulted in the displacement of more than 4 million people, and contributed to the endemic poverty that affects 80% of the population. Conflict between nomadic people, particularly over the issues of cattle and grazing rights, has compounded the violence, yet health resources and medical professionals remain scarce.
Dr Akim is one of only a handful of general surgeons in the country, and regularly deals with gunshot and arrow wounds as a result of cattle rustling. Those who make it to his hospital are often in a very bad way, suffering from internal bleeding and broken bones. Without any advanced orthopaedic instruments, Koma must often treat these fractures non-operatively, even though his patients would benefit from external fixators or skeletal traction.
Alongside his work in the district hospital, Dr Akim has also undertaken humanitarian missions in Ganyiel, in the Unity State of South Sudan. Koma recalled performing an emergency C-section for a retained second twin in the midst of the fighting here. In spite of the high maternal mortality associated with this complication, Dr Akim was miraculously able to save the lives of both the mother and her two babies.
These experiences motivated Koma to learn more and enhance his skill set, so that he could continue to alleviate the suffering of ordinary people in his country.
In 2019, Dr Akim attended our London based Surgical Training for the Austere Environment course (STAE). On this training programme, he learnt how to properly expose blood vessels and said “being able to practise it means I have the confidence to do it in a real situation. If I can do it, I can teach it.” This skills-sharing is a vital part of what we as a Foundation hope to achieve. By training one doctor on our course, we give them the knowledge and skills needed to teach countless more.
It is Koma's ambition to become a role model for the next generation of South Sudanese doctors. He hopes to inspire more to become surgeons in order to better serve the people of war torn South Sudan and told us that "my skills and theirs will be more needed here, in South Sudan, than anywhere else in the world."
To help us train more surgeons like Koma, you can make a donation here.