The Ministry of Health, led by the Chief Medical Officer, Dr. med Mustapha Sundifu Kabba and the Directorate of Hospital and Ambulance Services, led by Director Mr Ibrahim Foday-Musa, has partnered with the Foundation Diego González Rivas to offer a free thoracoscopic and minimally invasive surgery program at Connaught Hospital from 1–4 September 2026.
The initiative, undertaken at the behest of the Honourable Minister of Health, Dr Austin Demby, highlights the Ministry’s continued commitment to expanding access to specialised, quality healthcare and strengthening the clinical capacity of Sierra Leone’s health workforce.
The opening ceremony marked the Chief Medical Officer’s first official engagement since his appointment and was warmly received by Connaught Hospital’s leadership. Dr Ibrahim Mark Kapuwa, Hospital Care Manager, formally welcomed Dr Kabba and thanked the Ministry, the Diego González Rivas Foundation, and local health institutions for the renewed collaboration. Dr Kapuwa also welcomed Dr Diego González and the international surgical team, saying the relationship between the visiting team and Sierra Leonean health services had been long-standing.
On the development of the collaboration, Dr González recalled that his group made its first trip to Sierra Leone around four years ago. He acknowledged the initial challenges – limited access to specialist surgical supplies, equipment deficits and lack of ideal theatre infrastructure – but said these have been gradually addressed through continued partnership and investment. Central to the current mission, he said, is the deployment of a mobile operating theatre, a sophisticated, fully equipped surgical unit designed to enable complex minimally invasive procedures in locations where conventional operating theatres may be constrained.
This mission is the mobile unit’s second deployment, following a successful operation in Ghana and a subsequent deployment to Liberia. Dr González commended Sierra Leone for its collaborative approach and institutional support, saying the country’s conducive environment helped make it a strategic base for the mobile surgical program. We support the unit with on-site technicians and an international network of remote engineers and specialists in Europe, ensuring service continuity and quick troubleshooting when needed.
The Chief Medical Officer, Dr. med Mustapha Sundifu Kabba, thanked the Foundation for the continued partnership. He said the programme’s goals are not only to provide free surgeries to patients, but also to serve as a strong forum for knowledge sharing and practical skills transfer. Dr Kabba called on the Department of Surgery to ensure that interested surgical residents, local surgeons, physicians, technicians, and other health professionals are actively involved in the procedures and training activities associated with the mission. “The long-term goal is to train Sierra Leonean clinicians to perform advanced laparoscopic and minimally invasive procedures independently,” he said.
The Connaught Hospital Senior Matron said the initiative was a “golden opportunity” for staff and patients alike. She emphasised that the program fits into the larger national strategy to strengthen specialised health services and build local clinical expertise. The Senior Matron urged surgeons, trainees, and allied health professionals to build on the training, seek further specialisation, and ensure the transfer and retention of newly acquired skills within local teams.
The Ministry of Health, through the Directorate of Hospital and Ambulance Services, reiterated its commitment to developing strategic collaborations to enhance access to specialised care, advance technology and knowledge transfer, and establish Sierra Leone as an emerging regional hub for advanced surgical care and training. The partnership with the Foundation Diego González Rivas, supported by modern mobile theatre technology and international technical connections, is a concrete step toward those ambitions and a vote of confidence in the country’s health institutions and professionals.
