A Vocational Training Team (VTT) comprising 14 surgeons and two volunteers from across India provided medical and surgical treatment during a 15-day mega health camp held in Nigeria in January. The team represented diverse medical specialties and was led by dental surgeon and RID 3204 PDG Dr Santosh Sreedhar, while PDG Lawrence Okwor served as the project coordinator in Nigeria (RID 9127).
handing over medical equipment to Nigerian doctors.
The camp was organised at the State University of Medical and Allied Sciences and Teaching Hospital at Igbo-Enu in Enugu district. Over 1,800 underprivileged patients suffering from various ailments received advanced medical care, including surgical interventions for around 800 individuals. For many patients, this mission marked the first time they had access to specialised medical and surgical treatment, said Sreedhar.
“Having participated in VTT programmes in Nigeria in 2020 and 2023, I had witnessed first-hand the transformative potential of this initiative — both for the communities served and for the professionals involved,” he added.
The VTT mission was submitted as a global grant proposal in January 2025 and was approved by TRF in June. The programme received generous support from the district designated funds of RIDs 3203 and 3234 in India, and districts 9127 and 9142 in Nigeria.
The grant covered international travel and logistics of the VTT members; procurement and donation of essential medical, surgical, dental and ophthalmic equipment; the establishment and upgrading of operation theatres; and capacity building for local doctors and medical students.
During the mission, the visiting team installed dental chairs, extraction and scaling instruments, digital portable X-ray machines, cataract surgery instruments and operating microscopes for ophthalmology procedures. They also provided complete surgical and anaesthesia equipment for general surgery, ENT, gynaecology and orthopaedics.
dental surgeon Dr C K Asokan treats a patient.
Local doctors, interns, medical students, nurses and paramedical staff participated in surgical demonstrations conducted by the Indian team, and attended training sessions and clinical discussions aimed at strengthening their decision-making skills.
“Certain instruments and procedures across various specialties were new to the medical professionals there, and they were eager to learn. By providing advanced equipment and demonstrating their use, we hope to help them deliver better healthcare to patients,” said Sreedhar.