The ASA Committee on Global Humanitarian Outreach (GHO), in partnership with the Canadian Anesthesiologists’ Society International Education Foundation (CAS IEF), has remained active in Rwanda since 2006. Working in education to expand capacity for safe anesthesia across Rwanda, the Overseas Teaching Program has graduated 18 Rwandan anesthesiology residents who are now faculty and promote anesthesia safety, education and patient advocacy. ASA volunteers continue to play a key role as the program is transitioning focus to cultivate teachers and leaders while still supporting resident training. Largely considered a successful model, “brain drain,” low recruitment and adverse patient outcomes remain as challenges. We have attempted here to present two perspectives of this partnership in order to understand the way forward during this pivotal time of change. Below are summarized interviews of Drs. Paulin Banguti and Jeanne d’arc Uwambazimana (Rwanda) and ASA volunteer Dr. Ana Crawford (U.S.).
In November 2005, I (Dr. Paulin)...