VTCT supports Interburns

The International Network for Training, Education and Research in Burns is a non-profit, independent organisation with collaborating centres currently in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Wales. VTCT donated money to Interburns for the delivery and administration of three Essential Burns Care (EBC) courses in Africa.

Tom Potokar, Consultant Plastic Surgeon and Interburns Director, tells us about how VTCT’s support has made a difference.

“VTCT’s donation has completely transformed what we have been able to achieve and has been successful in helping take Interburns to a new level of operation which we believe gives us more ability and scope to reduce the mortality and morality of burns injuries in low income countries.

We ran the first ever EBC courses in Africa at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Blantyre, Malawi and the second in Muhimbili National Hospital, Dar-Es-Salaam, Tanzania. For each course we had 46 participants. We had 5 experts from a mix of countries – UK, India, Pakistan and Uganda. The total cost for these two courses was £10,900 and did not include any overheads or administrative costs as we ran the projects through volunteer time from the Interburns team.

At the moment we are planning our third EBC course in Africa. We are planning a retreat style of training over 4.5 days so that we can include the EBC course and add extra teaching which focuses on team building and motivation and other factors such as corruption which we are finding a possible barrier to the implementation of practicing the knowledge we are teaching on burns care.

We have also been able to hire a project manager for four months who is also a burn care health professional. She is planning the Uganda conference which is proving time consuming and also developing the tools that form the EBC. For example she is working on an Interburns education manual for the EBC and Audiovisual tools that will add to learning.

Thank you for your support on this often neglected and massive public health need of burn injuries in low income countries.”

Tom Potokar, Consultant Plastic Surgeon, Interburns Director.

Watch a YouTube video about Interburns