Fundamentals of War Surgery (FWS)

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is organizing its first Fundamentals of War Surgery (FWS) course in Bukavu, DRC.

ICRC has led the way in treating conflict-related injuries for over 150 years. Adapting to evolving contexts and injury patterns is crucial to providing optimal care, reducing complications, and minimizing long-term disability. Moving beyond emergency frontline surgery, our approach will encompass resuscitation, repair, reconstruction, rehabilitation, and reintegration.

This course targets clinicians, specifically surgeons, anaesthetists, and nurses, involved in the care of weapon-wounded patients. It is open to health professionals from locally based hospital staff, National Societies delegates, ICRC mobile staff, humanitarian aid, military, and health ministries. Given its introductory nature, it is most suitable for beginning and mid-career practitioners with limited or no experience in humanitarian crises.

The Fundamentals of War Surgery, a flexible blended course, includes compulsory eLearning followed by an interactive face-to-face program. It addresses core components relevant to surgeons, anaesthetists, and nurses, along with specialty-specific elements.

At the end of the training, the participants will be able to:

• Adapt the professional practice and knowledge to the humanitarian and contexts with limited resources, to provide quality surgical care to the wounded and sick.
 
• Provide safe surgery/anaesthesia/nursing care for weapon-wounded patients in the context of limited resources of armed conflict and other situations of violence in different contexts.
 
• Implement a comprehensive, integrated, and patient-centred approach to the management of weapon wound patients.
 
• Strengthen decision-making, communication, situational awareness, stress management, and psychological well-being.
 

Please note that the course will be held in English and has a user fee of 1800 CHF.

The sending organization or the participant is responsible for covering all expenses related to user fees, travel, accommodation, and per diem.

Participants will be chosen based on the following criteria:

• applicant's profile
• affiliation to the Red Cross or Red Crescent or another humanitarian organization
• commitment to humanitarian work in war zones.
 

Deadline for application: 10th of March

To apply, please send a completed nomination letter and CV to Chiara Caminiti