Swisscross Foundation, KRG Ministry of Health, Barzani Charity Foundation and The Office of His Excellency Mulla Mustafa Barzani Kickstart Agreement to Deliver Complex Surgical Care in Kurdistan.
L-R: Dr Johannes Kuttenberger, Dr. Sabir Othman Mamandi, Dr. Aryana Barzinji, Dr Mustafa Subhe, Dr Talin and Dr Lass Azad. February 2024.
The dedicated medical team at Swisscross Foundation began 2024 reinforcing its commitment to vulnerable patients in Erbil and to work closely with local partners to be able to provide complex care to people in need.
At the end of 2023, Swisscross Foundation, the KRG Ministry of Health, the Barzani Charity Foundation (BCF) and the Office of His Excellency Mulla Mustafa Barzani (MOB) signed an agreement to strengthen and build capacity in the health sector across the Kurdistan region, through the provision of orthopedic, plastics, maxillofacial and burn trauma surgery.
This month our global and local teams came together with BCF and MOB to kickstart our agreement to provide complex surgical care at The Centre of Excellence for Complex Care in Erbil - a program generously supported by UAE Aid to provide complex, disability-reversing and life-altering surgeries in the region.
Swisscross chief surgeon, Dr Walter Kunzi and Dr Sarmad Nashat with a patient at the Swisscross and BCF clinic days in Erbil. February 2024
Swisscross screened 71 new cases referred by BCF during February and followed up with a further 30 cases of patients in need of surgery. In 2024, our aim is to screen an extra 1000 cases referred through BCF.
Dr Walter Kunzi, Chief surgeon at Swisscross and Swiss maxillofacial surgeon Dr Johannes Kuttenberger - both long-time volunteer surgeons - traveled to Erbil to screen patients with our local surgeons and doctors, including Dr Mustafa Subhe, Dr Sarmad Nashat and Swisscross Field officers, Dr Lass Azad and Dr Sarezh Saber.
The two-day clinic saw patients referred from across BCF-supervised camps, including Baharka1, Baharka2, Harsham, Khazer, Hassansham U2, Hassansham U3, Dibaga, Darashakran, and Kawrgosk
The collaboration between Swisscross and its partners signifies a strategic and coordinated response to addressing urgent complex surgical needs of some of the most vulnerable patients in the region, including refugees, displaced populations and poor and marginalized communities.
Dr Johannes Kuttenberger and Dr. Sabir Othman Mamandi with BCF staff at the patient clinic in Erbil.
In addition to screening patients, Swisscross continued to build upon our commitment to train, mentor and share knowledge with local healthcare professionals in Kurdistan, working towards a framework which shares information, guidance and practice with local providers, with the aim to equip local healthcare in the delivery of surgical care.
The clinic was attended by 7 residents from Kurdistan Board for Medical Specialties (KBMS) - a teaching and training institution in Medical Sciences in Erbil - under the supervision of Dr. Aryana Barzinji and Dr. Sabir Othman Mamandi. Swisscross also provided orientation training for BCF health officers working with Swisscross.
Swisscross will undertake triaging and surgery in the April 2024 humanitarian mission, with further referrals from BCF.
