EDITO FROM DR. CHARLES-HENRY ROCHAT
The year 2023 has been marked by a series of significant events and developments.
On the surgical mission front, organized or supported by GFMER/Fistula Group, nearly 200 patients underwent surgery in Benin, Burkina Faso and Cameroon. Surgical workshops are the backbone of our programs, offering not only free operations, but also mentoring opportunities where knowledge is passed on live.
In Benin, Dr Jean de Dieu YUNGA FOMA currently holds the position of regulator (focal point) for missions across the country, under the aegis of the Ministry of Health and in partnership with the Claudine Talon Foundation. Dr. YUNGA FOMA is an international expert in obstetric fistula surgery and is present at all missions organized in Tanguiéta.
In Burkina Faso, operations are carried out in Ouagadougou by Dr Moussa GUIRO, with recruitment support from Sentinelles Lausanne. Due to the closure of the border between Burkina Faso and Benin, patients from the east of the country are referred to Ouagadougou instead of Tanguiéta.
In Cameroon, Professor Pierre Marie TEBEU heads the missions in Yaoundé. Professor TEBEU, a former intern in Geneva, is currently Director General of the Centre Inter-états de Santé Publique d’Afrique Centrale (CIESPAC) in Brazzaville. In August 2023, GFMER/Fistula Group and CIESPAC signed a partnership agreement in Geneva for a program to eradicate obstetric fistula in West and Central Africa by 2030. The first surgical workshop is scheduled to take place in Chad and Central Africa in 2024.
As far as Tanguiéta Hospital is concerned, during my visit in March/April, I had the opportunity to discuss with the management and doctors to define the strategy for 2030.
On the financial and administrative front, a certified audit report was published at the beginning of the year. The hospital was impacted by the two-year Covid-19 pandemic and by deteriorating security conditions on the border with Burkina Faso, which led to a drop in attendance and paid consultations. In addition, the deficit in the indigent fund has worsened, as seriously ill patients often arrive late and without financial resources.
As a charitable institution, the Tanguiéta hospital offers care to patients even when it is known that they will not be able to contribute financially to treatment or operations. The Geneva-based IF Foundation is exploring ways to help in this respect, which is a ray of hope for the hospital.
Quality of care depends on the competence of specialist doctors and working conditions. In 2023, we introduced bonuses for clinical supervision, thanks to the support of the Inspi’r Foundation, which also awarded specialization scholarships to young doctors. With a view to attracting more senior doctors, an operating room has been equipped for laparoscopic surgery and live transmission via videoconferencing.
Finally, a budget has been allocated for the renovation of the clinic building, to improve accommodation conditions for patients coming from Cotonou or elsewhere for specialized operations. The TOPAZE Foundation has been supporting Swiss surgeons’ programs for 20 years.
The Global Foundation For Health Sciences has supported us for the past three years, following the withdrawal of the City of Geneva. This support has enabled us to restructure as we face the most difficult challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic in2020.
Fortunately, private donors and foundations have also contributed to our cause. These include the Baur Foundation, the McCall & McBain Foundation, the Stiftung Foundation, the Lotti Latrous Foundation, the Rumsey Cartier Foundation, the Pharos Trusts Foundation and the Agape Foundation.
These combined efforts give GFMER/Fistula Group the impetus it needs to continue its work. Recognition of our serious, training-focused work means that we are included in international scientific committees. In 2023, I had the opportunity to speak at congresses of the Fédération des Associations et Sociétés d’Urologie de Langue Française (FASULF), the International Federation of Gynecologists and Obstetricians (FIGO), of which I am a member of the Fistula Committee, and the Association Française d’Urologie (AFU). This scientific aspect is essential, because conscience without science would be the ruin of a humanist’s soul!
Dr Charles-Henry Rochat,
Specialist in surgical urology
March 2024
DOWNLOAD 2023 ACTIVITY REPORT HERE