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Margaret Kenyatta

NAIROBI. — Kenya’s First Lady Margaret Kenyatta has called on African medics to embrace emerging advanced surgical technologies that involve smaller amounts of anesthesia and retain patients for shorter periods.

Kenyatta urged both practising surgeons and medical students in gynaecology and general surgery to keep themselves abreast to the new medical procedures and skills in laparoscopic surgery.

“The overall acceptance of laparoscopic surgery the world over is testament to its greater advantages and should be encouraged at all levels in our country,” she said on Sunday night when she opened the 3rd African Conference of the International Society of Gynaecological Endoscopy (ISGE) and the society’s annual scientific conference in Nairobi.

The conference, the largest to be held in Africa, brought together 97 leading endoscopists and delegates from 31 countries. “This conference, the largest so far to be held in this continent, is a testimony to Africa’s growing need for continuous specialised training in the medical field,” Kenyatta said.

The First Lady said medical procedures that make less intrusion into the human body – especially in gynaecology – such as minimal access surgery, have the advantages of shorter hospital stays, quicker recovery and early return to work.

“Surgeons need be adequately trained in the traditional open techniques during their undergraduate and postgraduate programs so as to create an enthusiasm and competence in minimal access surgical procedures as a specialty,” she added.

Bruno Van Herendael, ISGE President, said the annual scientific meeting provides an international forum for the exchange of new ideas between gynecologic endoscopists and evaluation of new endoscopic techniques that are of benefit to women.

Herendael said the society accredits surgeons with the necessary theoretical and practical means judged to be sufficient for an efficacious and safe performance of operation for quality service to the patient. — Xinhua.