AYV News, August 25, 2023

The Honourable Vice President of Sierra Leone Dr. Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh has engaged the delegation from the West African College of Surgeons (WACS) on the significance of Post Surgical Care and Management in Freetown.

He said training excellent nurses with over fifteen years of experience in post-surgical care, management and treatment will enable the nurses to have vast knowledge to complete a successful surgical operation cycle in Sierra Leone.

He encouraged the delegation to extend the training beyond surgical operation, noting that a complicated surgery needs a healthcare worker to manage the patient.

“Because, if you conduct a successful surgery but no skills for post-surgical treatment, you achieve nothing” he reiterated, adding that post-surgical care is important.

Vice President Jalloh thanked the delegation on behalf of the Government of Sierra Leone for the visit. He stated that the conference is coming at a time when there is momentum and enthusiasm about the gains made in the health sector over the years particularly in maternal and infant health.

He assured the delegation of Government support to host a successful WACS conference in Sierra Leone.

The Head of Delegation who doubles as the President informed that the College has a policy of hosting the conference on a rotational basis per member countries, adding that Sierra Leone hosted the conference in 2008.

He described the College as the largest community for surgical training in Africa. He outlined free surgical delivery in the provinces, pre-conference training workshops for learning of special skills as required need of host country as some of the maximum benefits of hosting the conference.

He concluded that the conference will bring participants from West Africa, Africa, Europe and the United States of America.

Dr Mustapha Kabba, Deputy Chief Medical Officer in the Sierra Leone Health Ministry said that the delegation is in Sierra Leone to assess the level of preparedness for the upcoming WACS Annual General and Scientific Conference scheduled to take place in Sierra Leone from the 3rd – 7th March, 2024.

He noted that the delegation will meet with government officials and political leadership for support to the event. The courtesy visit was attended by the Minister of Health Dr Austin Demby, Baba Fortune -Secretary to the Vice President, and members of the local organising committee in Sierra Leone.

The WACS which started as the Association of Surgeons of West Africa in December 1960 transformed into a college in 1973. In January 1975, the college was, by a resolution, inaugurated as a constituent college of the West African Postgraduate Medical College (WAPMC), a specialized agency of the West African Health Community. WACS headquartered in Lagos and is headed by an Executive Committee and a Council. Sierra Leone has had 2 past presidents of the college (Mr. A. E. Olu-Williams 1967 – 1969 and Prof. A. D. O. Wright 1999 – 2001) and several council members.

The main objectives of the college are:

To promote, organize and conduct postgraduate education and training in surgery, related disciplines and sub-specialties in West Africa through established faculties.

Second, to foster and coordinate education and research in surgery and related disciplines.

Third, to cooperate with appropriate national and international bodies to promote, assist, develop and advance the interests of the surgical college in the pursuit of its objectives.