International Training Centres (ITCs)
Interburns Training Centres (ITCs) give surgeons, nurses, therapists and nutritionists the chance to experience locally appropriate, hands-on training in an operational burn unit in a low income setting. The ITC Fellowship programme started in 2006 and is just as vital now as it was then, considering the global burden of burns, especially in low income countries.
Almost 80 healthcare staff from countries including Afghanistan, Taiwan, Uganda, Nepal, Palestine, Ghana and Brazil have attended fellowship programmes in India and Nepal and we are delighted that the programme is expanding to other high quality burn hospitals in Nepal and South Africa.
In many low income countries, the number of plastic surgeons is too limited to treat the huge number of burn patients requiring surgery. In India approximately 1,200 plastic surgeons serve a population of 1.2 billion, and perhaps only 1 in 20 of these are interested in the challenging and low-profile field of burn care, so it is vital that acute burn management can be delivered by general surgeons and a well-trained multi-disciplinary team (MDT).
A recent meeting in Kathmandu, Nepal on 14th and 15th November 2019 brought together the directors and staff of current ITCs, Choithram Hospital and Research Centre, Indore, India and Kirtipur Hospital, Nepal, as well as prospective ones, Sushma Koirala Memorial Hospital (SKMH), Nepal and Edendale Hospital, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa.
The meeting helped develop standardised policies and laid the foundation for possible future expansion to other regions and countries. Fellowships are self-funded and we are always delighted to receive financial support for the programme. Information about applying for fellowships will be updated on the Interburns website by the end of January 2020.
Our thanks to:
Pratibha Sharma, dietician at Choithram Hospital and Research Centre, Indore, India; we greatly missed the presence of Dr Shobha Chamania, but thank her for all the work she does.
Nikki Allorto, Head of Unit/surgeon and Victoria Johnson, dietician at Edendale Hospital, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa
Kiran Nakarmi, Head of Burn Unit, Kirtipur Hospital, Kirtipur, Nepal
Jaswan Shakya, Hospital Director (former), Rojina Shilpakar, surgeon, and Shanta Mahara, nurse, Sushma Koirala Memorial Hospital, Nepal.
Many thanks to our colleagues at Sagun and Interburns for arranging the visit and follow up in country: Kamal Phuyal, Anil Dhital, Punyaswori Suwal.