Pediatr Radiol (2014) 44:644–645 DOI 10.1007/s00247-014-2949-5
MINISYMPOSIUM
Zambia and Zimbabwe: Opportunities for growth in pediatric radiology Ronald A. Cohen
Received: 24 January 2014 / Accepted: 21 February 2014 # Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2014
In May 2013 I had the opportunity to visit medical schools and children’s hospitals in Zambia and Zimbabwe under the auspices of two non-governmental organizations managed by pediatricians affiliated with Children’s Hospital Oakland. Charles Clemons, MD, works with the Georgian Foundation in Zambia and Dan Robbins, MD, with the J.F. Kapnek Trust in Zimbabwe. Through them I met with enthusiastic physicians who care for their pediatric patients the best they can with limited resources. The University Teaching Hospital in Zambia has approximately 1,900 beds, of which 400–500 are pediatric. There is one Zambian radiologist, who was trained in South Africa, and there are three foreign radiologists, two from China and one from Ukraine. There is no file room, and radiographs are kept on the patient beds (frequently there are two patients per bed). Clinicians read the radiographs themselves and occasionally ask a radiologist to consult upon special request. Access to advanced crosssectional imaging is problematic for many reasons, including the necessity for an ambulance ride to another building on the large campus. Historically, Zimbabwe had a sophisticated medical community with superb medical education and a wide range of specialists. In the late 1990s, a children’s hospital was constructed for in-patient, out-patient and specialty services. However, because of difficulties in the political environment, the building deteriorated and there was an exodus of specialists from the country. Much of the space is not utilized because of the lack of personnel and equipment. Zimbabwe has a total of 13 radiologists, 11 in Harare (8 of them were at my lecture). All are in R. A. Cohen (*) Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Children’s Hospital, 747 52nd St., Oakland, CA 94609, USA e-mail: [email protected]
private practice, occasionally helping at the university hospital and children’s hospital. Neither Zimbabwe nor Zambia currently has any radiology training. Moreover, there are no pediatric radiologists. The clinicians are very eager to further their education and were very engaged during lectures and ward rounds. Drs. Clemons and Robbins and their organizations collaborate with the Ministries of Health and Education to ensure that there is local support and participation with outreach efforts regarding health care. A key element of their philosophy is sustainability, which should be the goal of the World Federation of Pediatric Imaging as well. The mission of the World Federation of Pediatric Imaging (WFPI) is to improve the quality of pediatric imaging, wherever there is a need, in partnership with facilities around the world. I have been communicating with the pediatricians and radiologists in Zambia and Zimbabwe and have asked them to send more information about their needs and a proposal to the WFPI.
Fig. 1 At Harare Children’s Hospital (Zimbabwe), Ronald Cohen teaches a pediatrician how to perform cranial sonography on a newborn using a very low-cost, just-out-of-the-box portable US unit
Pediatr Radiol (2014) 44:644–645
Zambia and Zimbabwe have local doctors and administrators who would like to effect significant improvements to their system. They recognize the increasing role of imaging in medical practice, and the WFPI has a tremendous opportunity
645
to be part of the efforts to improve medical care in both Zambia and Zimbabwe (Fig. 1). Conflicts of interest None.
MINISYMPOSIUM
Zambia and Zimbabwe: Opportunities for growth in pediatric radiology Ronald A. Cohen
Received: 24 January 2014 / Accepted: 21 February 2014 # Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2014
In May 2013 I had the opportunity to visit medical schools and children’s hospitals in Zambia and Zimbabwe under the auspices of two non-governmental organizations managed by pediatricians affiliated with Children’s Hospital Oakland. Charles Clemons, MD, works with the Georgian Foundation in Zambia and Dan Robbins, MD, with the J.F. Kapnek Trust in Zimbabwe. Through them I met with enthusiastic physicians who care for their pediatric patients the best they can with limited resources. The University Teaching Hospital in Zambia has approximately 1,900 beds, of which 400–500 are pediatric. There is one Zambian radiologist, who was trained in South Africa, and there are three foreign radiologists, two from China and one from Ukraine. There is no file room, and radiographs are kept on the patient beds (frequently there are two patients per bed). Clinicians read the radiographs themselves and occasionally ask a radiologist to consult upon special request. Access to advanced crosssectional imaging is problematic for many reasons, including the necessity for an ambulance ride to another building on the large campus. Historically, Zimbabwe had a sophisticated medical community with superb medical education and a wide range of specialists. In the late 1990s, a children’s hospital was constructed for in-patient, out-patient and specialty services. However, because of difficulties in the political environment, the building deteriorated and there was an exodus of specialists from the country. Much of the space is not utilized because of the lack of personnel and equipment. Zimbabwe has a total of 13 radiologists, 11 in Harare (8 of them were at my lecture). All are in R. A. Cohen (*) Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Children’s Hospital, 747 52nd St., Oakland, CA 94609, USA e-mail: [email protected]
private practice, occasionally helping at the university hospital and children’s hospital. Neither Zimbabwe nor Zambia currently has any radiology training. Moreover, there are no pediatric radiologists. The clinicians are very eager to further their education and were very engaged during lectures and ward rounds. Drs. Clemons and Robbins and their organizations collaborate with the Ministries of Health and Education to ensure that there is local support and participation with outreach efforts regarding health care. A key element of their philosophy is sustainability, which should be the goal of the World Federation of Pediatric Imaging as well. The mission of the World Federation of Pediatric Imaging (WFPI) is to improve the quality of pediatric imaging, wherever there is a need, in partnership with facilities around the world. I have been communicating with the pediatricians and radiologists in Zambia and Zimbabwe and have asked them to send more information about their needs and a proposal to the WFPI.
Fig. 1 At Harare Children’s Hospital (Zimbabwe), Ronald Cohen teaches a pediatrician how to perform cranial sonography on a newborn using a very low-cost, just-out-of-the-box portable US unit
Pediatr Radiol (2014) 44:644–645
Zambia and Zimbabwe have local doctors and administrators who would like to effect significant improvements to their system. They recognize the increasing role of imaging in medical practice, and the WFPI has a tremendous opportunity
645
to be part of the efforts to improve medical care in both Zambia and Zimbabwe (Fig. 1). Conflicts of interest None.
