The Government of Goa, through the Public Health Department and Goa Medical College (GMC), in association with GICAM (Groupe International Chirurgiens Amis de la Main), has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to establish a World Standard Hand Surgery Unit (HSU) and a Centre of Excellence in Hand Care within the Super Speciality Block at GMC.
GICAM, a Swiss Foundation based in Lugano, Switzerland, will collaborate on this initiative. Phase I came to an end which involved an eight-day surgical camp, conducted from August 9th to 17th, where extensive knowledge exchange took place. During this camp, a total of 74 cases were examined, and 17 surgeries were successfully conducted. The camp, held at the existing infrastructure of GMC, was a testament to the collaborative spirit between GICAM and GMC, offering consultations, daycare, inpatient operative procedures, and rehabilitation services, including physiotherapy, occupational therapy, and orthotic and prosthetic workshops. The people from GICAM Foundation who were present at the camp were Dr. Philippe Cuenod – Surgeon and Head of the Camp, Geneva, Switzerland, Dr. Stefano Lucchina – Surgeon, Lugano, Switzerland, Emilie Alexandra Cossetto – Scrub Nurse, Geneva, Switzerland, Sandy Fabienne Ayer – Scrub Nurse, Geneva, Switzerland, Nicolas Bailly – Hand Therapist, Geneva, Switzerland, Agnese Ferriroli – Scrub Nurse, Lugano, Switzerland and Alessia Moretti – GICAM Project Manager, Lugano, Switzerland.
This joint venture involves the Government of Goa, the GICAM Foundation, and Goa Medical College, represented by the Department of Orthopaedics and the Department of Plastic Surgery and Burns. Dr. S. M. Bandekar, Dean, Professor, and Head of Orthopaedics, serves as the Nodal Officer of the Unit, with representatives from the GICAM Foundation headed by Prof. Marco Lanzetta Bertani, GICAM’s Founder and President, and the Head of the Department of Plastic Surgery and Burns as members.
The unit will manage both elective and emergency cases related to hand and upper limb conditions. It will feature an Out-Patient Clinic, an inpatient care area with a Rehabilitation Unit, and attached Operation Theatres (OT). The Department of Orthopaedics will handle bone-related clinical work of the upper limb, including the wrist, forearm, and arm, and will assist the Department of Plastic Surgery and Burns in managing soft tissue-related issues of the upper limb and bony structure of the hand.
We are pleased to announce that this successful collaboration with GICAM will continue, with the next camp scheduled for February next year. GICAM, founded in 1998, remains committed to organizing humanitarian programs in Hand Surgery, Orthopaedics, and Reconstructive Microsurgery, particularly in Asia, Africa, and South America, focusing on providing surgical operations and continuous care, especially for women and children.
GICAM’s mission also includes training surgical, medical, paramedical, and nursing personnel to transfer and disseminate skills, work ethic, and moral principles locally, thereby improving the quality of care and reconstructive treatment for disadvantaged populations. Since 2016, GICAM has been active in Jamkhed, India, significantly improving the quality of life for individuals affected by burns or deformities of their hands.
