Fort surgeon hails Cambodia trip a success

A pioneering trip to Cambodia to teach surgical skills to medics in the South-East Asian country has been hailed a success by retired Fort William doctor David Sedgwick.

 

Mr Sedgwick retired from his surgeon's post at the Belford Hospital, Fort William, five years ago after more than two decades working in the hospital's operating theatres.

 

For the past five years he has been part of surgical teaching teams visiting Rwanda, East Jerusalem and Gaza.

 

Earlier this month, he travelled to the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh as part of a team teaching the Basic Surgical Skills Course (BSSC).

 

At present there is no structured training course in Cambodia and it is hoped the BSSC could be a foundation for the development of a formal training curriculum.

 

The Royal College of Surgeons in Edinburgh credentialled the course and Mr Sedgwick, a consultant general surgeon who has been convener of the BSSC for 20 years, was asked to assess its feasibility.

 

After a three-day visit to Phnom Penh in October 2017, when discussions were held with senior staff at the University of Health Sciences and the Cambodian Surgical Society, a course was proposed and an agreement signed.

 

After arriving back at his Badabrie home, Mr Sedgewick told the Lochaber Times the latest course had been successful.

 

'We had seven consultants attend the 'Train the Trainers Workshop' and 18 surgical trainees successfully completed the Basic Surgical Skills Course,' he explained.

 

 

CAPTION:

 

David Sedgwick, centre, with surgeons and trainees and other members of the teaching team in Cambodia earlier this month.

 

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