Dr. Mansour Ali (third left) performing a surgery during a medical mission.
DOHA: Experts at Sidra Medicine often collaborate with international and local charitable organisations to provide specialist paediatric humanitarian care in countries facing critical needs.
Their dedicated missions not only bring specialised medical expertise to underserved communities but also foster a spirit of compassion and support that go beyond borders.
During a crisis, a lot of places are cut off from the world and are in urgent need of help. Local and global charitable organisations are sometimes the only resources to connect victims, families, the injured and refugees to get life saving food, medical supplies and care.
In its annual report, Sidra Medicine, a member of Qatar Foundation, has highlighted and lauded the experts who were part of such humanitarian care provided in countries such as Syria, Bangladesh, Jordan and Mauritania. During such missions, Sidra Medicine experts have performed life saving surgeries on children with different conditions.
The Peninsula spoke with Dr. Mansour Ali, Chair of the Department of Surgery at Sidra Medicine, who has partnered with Qatar Red Crescent Society (QRCS) on several missions, notably visiting Bangladesh, Sudan and Syria to perform specialist paediatric surgeries.
“QRCS has been doing life-saving and life-changing charity and medical missions for a long time. They reached out to me in my personal capacity as a paediatric surgeon, as many of these missions require a paediatric specialist, particularly one trained in operating on children with congenital anomalies. This is especially the case for areas impacted by war, natural disasters or a refugee crisis,” said Dr. Ali, who specialises in performing a whole spectrum of diagnostics and the management of neonatal congenital anomalies.
He oversees as well as performs the complete spectrum of general, thoracic paediatric surgery, trauma and minimally invasive technique including robotic surgery at Sidra Medicine.
Dr. Ali explained that during medical missions often the hospitals are make-shift or old and dilapidated and are in dire need of specialists to help them surgically operate on children.
“There are many times in life saving situations when adult surgeons have to step in to save a child’s life. But children require a paediatric surgeon as we are trained to use equipment and facilities specifically designed for children including treating unique and sometimes rare conditions that require specialist surgical skills and expertise,” he said.
Referring to the services provided during medical missions, Dr Ali said he was mostly performing general surgeries but primarily complicated type of procedures such as esophagus repairs, abdominal surgeries and the management of neonatal congenital anomalies.
“I have also operated on children with trauma injuries and am specialised in minimally invasive techniques including robotic surgery. For most of my medical missions, I have been accompanied by a paediatric anaesthetist as well,” he said.
According to Dr. Ali, in most of the areas they have been to, the resources are limited in the hospitals, both in terms of medical supplies, technologies and clinical expertise.
“It is heart-breaking when you come across cases where young children come to the hospital in such deteriorating condition or at a stage where their illness has reached a stage where we have to perform highly complex procedures,” he said.
“We work closely with QRCS before we head out on such missions giving them a list of the medical equipment and supplies we will need for such missions. You can never take it for granted that these places will have everything, sometimes even the most basic of equipment and supplies,” he added.
Dr. Ali said another important part of such medical missions is to teach the clinical teams on the ground about life-saving techniques and procedures, so that they can continue caring for the children.
“Many of the doctors and nurses do not have the capacity, funds or resources to leave their home countries for specialist training such as laparoscopies. Having specialists come to their hospitals via charity missions has been a noble cause as it allows them to learn from some of the very best doctors in the industry,” he said.
Dr. Ali described the medical missions he was involved with as incredibly impactful, and the personal transformation he experienced stands out. “Whenever I come back from a medical mission, I am so humbled as well as grateful for everything we have and that I am able to play a small part in saving a life or training a doctor to further save more lives. It is life-changing,” he said.
Dr. Ali emphasises the profound impact of performing life-saving surgeries on children, highlighting that these procedures not only transform the child’s life but also greatly affect their families.
“I’ve seen parents who are desperate and whose lives have been heavily impacted in having to care for their child with a chronic disease or a congenital anomaly. Once the surgery is over and is successful – the whole family’s life changes. We carry their gratitude deep in our hearts,” he said.
“There is something to be said about taking part is such missions. When you see the relief and smiles on the child and their family’s faces – it makes for a humbling experience. I also feel a sense of satisfaction that I am able to use my skills to help save lives and also pass on my knowledge to other doctors,” he added.
At present. Dr. Ali is reviewing a follow-up visit to Syria and working on putting together a team of other specialists such as urology, trauma surgery, ENT and spinal surgeons, in addition to always having a paediatric anaesthetist.
