A day in the life: Training Rwanda’s aspiring plastic surgeons
In Rwanda, there are just 5 plastic surgeons for 13m people. Follow a day in the life of Dr Fidel Simba, a surgical trainee who’s learning cleft care – and helping to change that statistic.
For fifth-year surgical trainee Dr Fidel Simba, the day begins early. He grabs a cup of coffee, and hops on a bus to the Ruhengeri Referral Hospital in northwest Rwanda.
First on his agenda is presenting a course on acute burn care to a group of fellow surgical trainees. For aspiring plastic surgeons in the region, this is particularly interesting: both burn and cleft care are considered essential surgeries, and they can expect to encounter many burn patients as their careers progress.
Raised in Rwanda, Simba is part of Operation Smile’s efforts to expand access to essential surgical care. He is just 1 of nearly 5,000 medical professionals (including surgeons, anaesthesiologists, nurses and more) in 48 countries, who have received training in 10 different specialisms.
Investing in the development of local care providers, our global medical programmes enable more communities to access essential surgical care.
“So many are not getting the right care” – 5 plastic surgeons for 13 million people
In Rwanda, the need is especially great.
“We are 13 million being served by just 5 plastic surgeons,” explains Simba, who is 1 of 6 currently in training. “There are so many patients out there who are not getting the right care. You can imagine the gap. Going through this training and working with so many different surgeons is a privilege.”
After the burn care presentation, Simba is on to his next task. Working under the supervision of Dr Charles Furaha, he’s preparing to assist in minor surgeries.
“Today, Simba and I went through the patients [and their cases] just to make sure that his plans align with mine. That way, if I am not around, he can still perform the procedure confidently,” says Furaha.
The power of mentorship
This mix of hands-on care and teaching has a bigger purpose than addressing the day’s caseload. “They come and support us,” says Dr Faustin Ntirenganya, another plastic surgeon at the hospital, “but eventually they will replace us in a few years from now.”
Furaha agrees. “I don’t want them to be like me; I want them to be much better than me,” he says. “I will keep mentoring and pushing them and telling them that they can do it.”
Mentorship is a cornerstone of our work: Furaha and Faustin are helping train and mentor the next generation of plastic surgeons with the support of the Ministry of Health, the government of Rwanda, local hospitals, Operation Smile and the University of Rwanda.
Together, we’re creating a future where people with cleft conditions can access the care they deserve, closer to their homes.
“Once you start seeing the results, you are happy“
For Simba, the positive effects are immediate. “The next day after surgery, we go through the previous cases we completed. We see how the patients are doing post-operatively,” he says. Then the team decide who can be discharged, and the next steps for each person’s ongoing care.
Plastic surgery trainees like Simba create a ripple effect in their communities, increasing access to essential care and safe surgery.
Dr Paulin Clovis, another plastic surgery trainee, shares: “Once you start seeing the results you are very happy. I’m like. ‘Yeah, this is not a mistake. I’m supposed to be here, and I’m happy to be here.’”
Learn more about how Simba’s hospital, Ruhengeri, is the first in a planned network of local hospitals bringing cleft care closer to people in Rwanda.