January 2023

In the heart of the mountains of Ethiopia, the mission in Assella, within the University of Arsi, has forged bridges of humanity and knowledge. There, we finally met Dr Didha’s team, with whom the video exchanges had prepared the ground for an intense and fruitful collaboration. The visit of the hospital and the digestive surgery department marked the beginning of an adventure mixing knowledge sharing and concrete application.

In the corridors of the hospital, we organized the donation, sorting and preparation of equipment for laparoscopic surgery (minimally invasive abdominal surgery technique requiring 4 to 5 holes to intervene accurately). Selecting patients for the operating room, presenting clinical cases, all this was part of a routine punctuated by hope and determination.

However, an unexpected challenge arose: a technical problem with the insufflation module, essential to infuse the abdominal cavity with CO2 and create a workspace for surgeons. Despite the efforts of a technician present, the failure forced us to a more traditional approach: laparotomy. Far from discouraging us, this obstacle has enriched our training program. Theoretical courses on laparoscopy, accompanied by oral presentations and videos of clinical cases, enlightened the curious minds of the students and surgeons of the University of Arsi. An official ceremony, enhanced by the presence of the university’s director, Dr Dhuguma Adugna Dabale, crowned our visit, marking our minds with indelible memories.

The saga of the defective insufflator, carried away in Europe in the hope of a repair, ended on a note of hope: despite the impossibility of repairing it, the generosity of the Clinique de la Sauvegarde in Lyon made it possible to equip the university with new equipment. This gesture paved the way for the resumption of laparoscopic surgeries during a subsequent mission in June 2023, and since then, an American team has also joined this international chain of solidarity.

In this ballet of mutual aid and innovation, a new impetus was given with the acquisition of a pedal adapted to the electric scalpel generator, promise of progress and excellence for Assella. Thus is woven the story of a mission where each obstacle becomes a springboard for success, carried by an international community united for the advancement of medicine and the well-being of humanity.