There are few specialist surgeons in Rwanda. Operations are frequently performed with a text book open, and there is little or no post-graduate education available to health workers.

A PRIME team provided surgical training in Cyangugu in the largely rural western area of the country which is home to around 20,000 people. A common operation is the repair of a recurring hernia - ‘recurring’ because previous repairs had broken down. Surgical technique, easily put right by the training provided by the PRIME team, will avoid these repeated operations in the future.

The team showed local doctors how to use a gastroscope, given to the hospital many years ago, but never used as no-one had been trained how to use it.

The team also met with the Minister of Health for Rwanda and the director of the national medical school to assess how PRIME could support their future training needs as a result of which more teaching trips are being planned.