Volker goes     
  for Global   
  Orthopedics

We live in Germany in a small village at the southern slope of Black Forest close to the Rhine. The nearest town in Germany is Freiburg (100 km), that in Switzerland is Basel (45 km).

Global Orthopedics Caring for Musculoskeletal Conditions and Injuries in Austere Settings 

Second Edition

Richard A. Gosselin, David A. Spiegel, Michelle Foltz • Editors, Springer 2020

This is an extraordinary book that offers a detailed overview and practical solutions. As a PDF edition it is a much-valued companion on every mission.

Over many years I have used the app 'AO Surgery Reference' in my orthopedic surgical work and for teaching. It allows to select the treatment plan according to the resources available in terms of equipment and surgical knowledge. So, there are treatments described for hospitals in austere settings.

There were Hospital Partnership programs in the US and in Germany. Due to governments shifting of funds towards military spending these programs are now discontinued. The German Ministry of Economic Cooperation has discontinued the Health Funding Program 'Hospital Partnerships', where medical professionals from German hospitals or NGOs partner with colleagues from hospitals of the Global South. There still exist around 500 Hospital Partnerships in 66 countries. The program is implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ). There are private donors that can be approached as for example the Else Kröner-Fresenius Fund.

The registered charity 'Ärzte für Madagaskar - Doctors for Madagascar' was founded in Summer 2011 by German doctors who had experienced both the desperate lack of medical treatment in Southern Madagascar, but also the selfless commitment and the medical abilities of their Malagasy colleagues.

In Madagascar, about 80 staff members in permanent positions are currently working towards the goals of the organization, including doctors, midwives, accountants, logisticians, drivers and many more. On the German side, a project coordinator as well as a communications officer work in a small office in Berlin. Beyond this, the work of the charity is carried out to a large extent through the voluntary engagement of experienced doctors, nurses, construction experts, technicians, accountants and interns.

Doctors for Madagascar provides direct medical aid with the goal of improving medical treatment in Madagascar in the long-term. They support hospitals and other medical institutions with donations in money and in kind; offer medical training for local doctors and nurses; build facilities; and send teams of doctors and construction experts.

The Fund for access to safe surgery and anesthesia allows to pay for surgical supply and consumables orders of SALFA hospitals.