BOA Congress
We look forward to welcoming you all at the WOC-UK session at the BOA Congress next week, titled “Transforming Lives in Less Resourced Environments”. We have an exciting line-up of speakers on Tuesday 17th from 10:30 to 12:00. This year we have two international speakers, Dr Mengesha from Ethiopia and Dr Sike from Cameroon, who will be sharing their work with us. We are also pleased to welcome Mr Steve Mannion, Mr Sean Kelly and Mr Simon Graham among our speakers. We are very excited to be presenting the WOC-UK Merit Medal to Mr Graeme Groom for his unrelenting work in Gaza and Palestine. There has not been a more pressing time to hear a first-hand account of what is happening on the ground and what we can do to help.
RAMPS Study
We are pleased to announce that the Regional Assessment of Amputations in Sub-Saharan Africa Study (RAMPS) has gone live. For anyone undertaking work in that environment, details on how to contribute to this large collaborative study, the first of its kind, can be found here: https://qc.redcap.bham.ac.uk/
Obituary – Mr Geoffrey Walker FRCS
It is with great sadness that we share the news of the passing of a long-term member and co-founder of WOC-UK, Mr Geoffrey Walker, who died peacefully at the age of 97. He was a very active member of WOC-UK and SICOT until his later years and is fondly remembered for his work around the globe, particularly in Ethiopia. The current state of orthopaedics in Ethiopia owes much of its success to the early foundations laid by Geoffrey Walker. We join his family in mourning one of the early pioneers of global surgery. May his soul rest in peace.
Opportunity to Work in Pakistan
A wonderful opportunity has become available via WOC-UK for a lower limb surgeon to spend time at Recep Tayyip Erdogan Hospital (RTEH) in South Punjab, Pakistan, helping to develop the Foot and Ankle service. The hospital is relatively modern with good facilities and is part of the Indus Hospital and Health Network, a charitable organisation providing free healthcare to patients in poorer communities. The hospital will provide accommodation and subsistence in country; however, interested individuals will need to fund their own travel. Anyone interested should contact Dr Gauhar Nawaz Khan at gauhar.khan@tih.org.pk. This opportunity is not limited to foot and ankle surgeons, and other ways to get involved include:
- Training opportunities (remote and in country)
- Donation or sponsorship of implants, equipment or consumables
- Collaborative outreach programmes to improve patient care
These opportunities will depend on the needs of the institution following discussion with Dr Khan. WOC-UK would like to help coordinate this effort and recommends an initial 2–3 week fact-finding visit. If you are planning to travel to RTEH or engage in any other form of partnership, please update WOC-UK via secretary@wocuk.org or chairman@wocuk.org. Photographs of the hospital facilities are included in the document.