Here are five takeaways:
1. Massachusetts General Hospital launched the program after Samson Okello, MD, reached out to MGH-CGH about a significant rise in gastrointestinal cases among patients.
2. Dr. Okello serves as a clinical lecturer and designate physician at Mbarara University Teaching Hospital in Uganda.
3. Kathleen Corey, MD, director of the MGH Fatty Liver Clinic and the MGH Gastrointestinal Unit, traveled to Uganda to train Mbarara Hospital’s staff on how to effectively evaluate patients for gastrointestinal issues.
4. Norman Shizuaki Nishioka, MD, director of endoscopy for MGH, contacted PENTAX Medical about providing equipment for the program.
5. “With the expanding rollout of antiretroviral therapy in Uganda, many people are living longer lives, well past their thirties and forties,” said Dr. Okello. “As such, we needed to shift our medical focus on developing the infrastructure to treat non-communicable diseases, including gastrointestinal cancers — a focus urgently needed.”
More articles on GI/endoscopy:
GI physician leader to know: Dr. Manoj Mehta of Gastroenterology Consultants of The North Shore
5 most read GI/endoscopy stories: Week of Jan. 11 — Jan. 15
Zacks lowers Endoscopic to “sell” rating: 4 notes
