BFIRST
The British Foundation for International Reconstructive Surgery and Training (BFIRST) is a UK registered charity which trains plastic surgeons and their teams working in resource poor countries around the world.
BFIRST was founded in 2012 as the official overseas charity of BAPRAS. It was developed from the long-standing BAPRAS (formerly BAPS) Overseas Interest group with the aim of consolidating governance in Global Surgery Outreach for UK Plastic Surgeons. BFIRST is engaged in collaborations around the globe alongside its partner organisations, the British Society for Surgery of the Hand, and the British Burns Association, training surgeons and their staff to carry out reconstructive surgery before passing their knowledge and skills, in turn, on to others. Some projects are directly sponsored by BFIRST but others, already in existence, are instead offered the chance of being affiliated with the charity, in order to share existing expertise and connections.
Reconstructive plastic surgery releases both children and adults from the poverty and destitution associated with the physical disabilities, injury and diseases which are amenable to treatment by surgery.
The charity works on the basis of invitation from overseas individuals and hospital departments. The educational approach is based on discerning the local needs by analyzing the types of cases likely to be encountered. The Pareto principle is employed in analyzing what represents 80% of the problems. BFIRST then works with the host hospital to formulate a training programme in the chosen subspecialty reflecting those local needs. A unique curriculum is designed for that country, delivering Consultant led training.
Whilst training is Consultant delivered, trainees accompany them and are a vital asset in logistics, public relations and administrative tasks. We hope by involving them early in their careers to encourage a life-long responsible involvement in Global Surgery. By seeing the problems faced abroad, trainees have the chance to tailor their UK and Specialist Fellowship experience to then go on and provide relevant expert teaching as Consultants in resource poor countries.
BFIRST mainly delivers face to face, hands-on training in the local environment. It also offers surgeons local and international courses, as well as longer term Fellowships in their chosen subspecialties, all delivered at UK and international units. Selected Fellows come to the UK to train, but also to make new friends who are then invited back to their own countries. We have funded Fellows from Bangladesh, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Iraq, Uzbekistan, Georgia, Ethiopia, Iran, Ghana and more. We also sponsor so called “South-to-South” training in microsurgery and hand surgery through Professor Jeng, at Eda Hospital in Taiwan and Professor Raja Sabapathy, at Ganga Hospital in India.
BFIRST symbolizes the global reach of British Plastic Surgery and its history of collaboration through training. In this gallery we celebrate BFIRST and its achievements. You will find stories detailing a number of their projects in the relevant continental side galleries.
Contributor: Barbara Jemec