Doing more with less: A Singaporean surgeon’s lessons from a hospital between two Sudans
The 91-bed Ameth-Bek Hospital caters to a region about 15 times the size of Singapore.
A Singaporean surgeon shares insights from his work at Ameth-Bek Hospital, a small facility amidst a region torn by conflict. The drive to the hospital traverses vast, barren landscapes, with passing trucks carrying armed men – a grim reminder of the volatile security environment. The hospital, a 91-bed secondary facility, stands as the only source of surgical care for a vast surrounding area, often managing a bewildering array of cases, from trauma to obstetric emergencies.
The team, consisting of two general surgeons, performed 1,170 operations between April and June, with over 20 cases on some days. The workload was relentless, requiring the team to constantly adapt, working with limited resources and equipment. Despite the challenges, the team managed to provide critical care, improvising solutions such as simple vacuum dressings and repurposing medical instruments.
The constraints of the environment pushed the team to reconsider traditional practices and outcomes, focusing on what could truly make a difference in the patients' communities.
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