Use Case
Use case | Global Surgery
Strengthening Surgical Training in Ghana
Free patient care with a digital-first training approach.
Alfred Surgery partnered with the Norwegian International Hernia Team and Holy Family Hospital Berekum in Ghana to deliver a structured surgical training program, combining free patient care with a digital-first training approach. This project shows how combining clinical collaboration with structured digital training helps strengthen surgical capacity and improve long-term patient outcomes.
The challenge
Training gaps and missing standards create systemic risks in surgical care.
In many low- and middle-income regions, access to high-quality surgical care is limited due to a shortage of well-trained surgeons, lack of standardized procedures, and insufficient opportunities for continuous professional development. Local surgeons often have limited access to structured training, supervision, and performance monitoring, while patient safety protocols are not always consistently applied. This creates risks for both patient outcomes and sustainable healthcare development.
Impact
This project shows how Alfred Surgery helped combining clinical collaboration with structured digital training helps strengthen surgical capacity and improve long-term patient outcomes.
patients successfully operated
complications occured
local surgeons trained using our structured training system
experienced surgeons scrubbed in at every procedure for hands-on experience
digital patient registration in our quality registry
documented training conversations after procedures
The solution
The Alfred program follows a structured, step-by-step learning pathway that ensures both patient safety and continuous improvement of surgical skills.
The program starts with the launch of the course, offering free surgery to all participating patients. Local surgeons then complete digital pre-course modules as part of their online preparation. Before each procedure, all patients are registered using standardized quality checklists, followed by mandatory safety checklists immediately prior to surgery.
Surgeons first practice and refine their basic surgical skills through targeted exercises, after which they progress to supervised hands-on training in the operating room. After every surgery, systematic feedback sessions are conducted to stimulate reflection and improvement. Individual learning curves are continuously visualized to monitor progress and skill development.
Once sufficient competence is achieved, local surgeons perform surgeries independently. The program concludes with a final postoperative quality control of all patients to ensure optimal outcomes and continuous quality assurance.
Modules used in this project are:
Training Journey
Online pre-course preparation & quality checklist registering our patients
Safety checklist before surgery
Basic surgical skill exercises
Supervised hands-on training
Systematic feedback & learning curves
Trainees operating independently
Lessons learned
A happy patient without complications after surgery.
This project shows that combining hands-on clinical collaboration with structured digital training significantly accelerates skill development and improves patient safety. Standardized workflows, continuous feedback, and data-driven learning curves provide transparency and measurable progress. Most importantly, the approach creates sustainable local surgical capacity, making long-term impact possible beyond the duration of the training program itself.