News / National
Zimbabwe achieves milestone in training surgeons
05 Dec 2024 at 06:53hrs | Views
Zimbabwe's health sector, long plagued by resource shortages and brain drain, has marked a significant achievement with a rise in the number of orthopaedic and paediatric surgeons, largely attributed to training initiatives by the College of Surgeons East, Central and Southern Africa (COSECSA).
Speaking at COSECSA's official opening and graduation ceremony in Harare yesterday, Health and Child Care Minister Douglas Mombeshora highlighted the positive impact the institution has had on Zimbabwe's surgical workforce.
"In 1999, Zimbabwe had 25 orthopaedic surgeons. Today, this number has risen to 48, 42 of whom were trained through COSECSA," Mombeshora said.
He also noted the dramatic increase in paediatric surgeons, from just one in 1999 to 88 currently, with seven of them being COSECSA graduates. Additionally, he revealed that the country previously had no plastic and reconstruction surgeons before COSECSA's interventions.
The minister applauded COSECSA's efforts in retaining human resources within Zimbabwe and across the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region amid widespread emigration of healthcare professionals.
"Training a surgeon requires significant time, commitment, and financial resources. I commend COSECSA for ensuring the continuous growth of a world-class surgical workforce," Mombeshora said.
Mombeshora also acknowledged the increasing number of female surgeons among the graduates, commending COSECSA for promoting gender inclusivity and supporting women in surgery.
"This demonstrates that gender is no barrier to surgery or training. The rise of women in surgery across Africa is a powerful example of breaking barriers and building inclusivity," he added.
Melini Baruth, senior director at Operation Smile Global, praised COSECSA for its transformative impact on surgical education and healthcare over its 25-year history.
"We are honoured to partner with COSECSA to build the next generation of surgical leaders. Our collaboration with Women in Surgery Africa aims to empower female surgeons and drive equitable access to life-changing surgery across the continent," Baruth said.
COSECSA operates across 14 countries, serving a population of over 460 million people. The college has trained and certified over 900 surgical specialists, with more than 1,200 surgeons currently in training.
Zimbabwe, meanwhile, has successfully retained 96 COSECSA-trained surgeons, who are now serving communities nationwide.
The event underscored Zimbabwe's potential to develop and maintain a skilled surgical workforce, even in the face of significant challenges, offering hope for improved healthcare access and outcomes in the future.
Speaking at COSECSA's official opening and graduation ceremony in Harare yesterday, Health and Child Care Minister Douglas Mombeshora highlighted the positive impact the institution has had on Zimbabwe's surgical workforce.
"In 1999, Zimbabwe had 25 orthopaedic surgeons. Today, this number has risen to 48, 42 of whom were trained through COSECSA," Mombeshora said.
He also noted the dramatic increase in paediatric surgeons, from just one in 1999 to 88 currently, with seven of them being COSECSA graduates. Additionally, he revealed that the country previously had no plastic and reconstruction surgeons before COSECSA's interventions.
The minister applauded COSECSA's efforts in retaining human resources within Zimbabwe and across the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region amid widespread emigration of healthcare professionals.
"Training a surgeon requires significant time, commitment, and financial resources. I commend COSECSA for ensuring the continuous growth of a world-class surgical workforce," Mombeshora said.
"This demonstrates that gender is no barrier to surgery or training. The rise of women in surgery across Africa is a powerful example of breaking barriers and building inclusivity," he added.
Melini Baruth, senior director at Operation Smile Global, praised COSECSA for its transformative impact on surgical education and healthcare over its 25-year history.
"We are honoured to partner with COSECSA to build the next generation of surgical leaders. Our collaboration with Women in Surgery Africa aims to empower female surgeons and drive equitable access to life-changing surgery across the continent," Baruth said.
COSECSA operates across 14 countries, serving a population of over 460 million people. The college has trained and certified over 900 surgical specialists, with more than 1,200 surgeons currently in training.
Zimbabwe, meanwhile, has successfully retained 96 COSECSA-trained surgeons, who are now serving communities nationwide.
The event underscored Zimbabwe's potential to develop and maintain a skilled surgical workforce, even in the face of significant challenges, offering hope for improved healthcare access and outcomes in the future.
Source - newsday
