Altababa medical volunteer group mission to almanagil hospital, Sudan: New ideas for long-term partnership, success factors and guidelines for other groups

Sudanese medical volunteers have a long history of working in districts with poor health-care infrastructure. Altababa medical volunteer group (AMVG) was established by Sudanese physicians working in Saudi Arabia who desired to contribute to improving clinical services and training in their country of origin. This paper documents steps in the planning and evaluation of AMVG’s first mission to Almanagil hospital in Sudan in 2013. Over a 3-day period the visiting team of 4 physicians performed 25 laparoscopic surgical and obstetric/ gynaecological procedures and 36 echocardiogram tests—all with hands-on training—presented 11 lectures and consulted with 137 patients. A total of 247 trainees and patients completed a 22-item evaluation survey. The first mission was highly rated by both trainees (health-care providers) and patients. The results provided a road map for volunteers to accomplish cost-effective goals in small hospitals with modest facilities.