Virtual reality project supports surgical training for African doctors

The doctors are Dr Emmanuel Nduwayo and Dr Meet Niyukuri Alliance from Burundi, and Dr Ekani Boukar Mahamat Yannick and Dr Tim Fabrice Tientcheu from Cameroon. While in the UK, they took part in a four-day cadaver-based training course at CASE and began creating immersive VR training content in French, tailored to the hospitals where they work. 

The two surgeons from Burundi are part of Mercy Surgeons, a charity that supports healthcare training in a country of over 13 million people. Burundi is one of the poorest countries in the world, with most people living on less than $1.90 a day. Dr Nduwayo is a consultant general and cancer surgeon, an anatomy lecturer and Vice-Dean at Hope Africa University Medical School. Dr Niyukuri is a paediatric and general surgeon and founder of Mercy Surgeons. He has led surgical services and taught anatomy, and now focuses on expanding access to safe, affordable surgery across Africa. 

The Cameroonian surgeons are part of ASCOVIME, a medical simulation centre that trains students and residents from across the region. The centre delivers hands-on training to more than 1,000 healthcare professionals each year. Dr Ekani is the Director of Sao District Hospital and teaches surgery at the University of Buea. Dr Tientcheu is a general surgeon who has worked in rural hospitals and on public health programmes. He has worked with the World Health Organization and others to improve care in low-resource settings. 

As part of the programme, each pair of doctors will take home a bespoke VRiMS TotalXR Solution system. This includes a full virtual reality anatomy platform and access to more than 200 surgical training videos. The system will support long-term learning and improve patient outcomes. 

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