PAACS - the Pan African Academy of Christian Surgeons

I will be serving in Africa with the Pan African Academy of Christian Surgeons. PAACS began with the realization that Africa is suffering from a dramatic shortage of surgeons. The problems are many:  

• Mission agencies are closing hospitals and diminishing support
• the number of medical missionaries is declining
• African medical students are seeking better paid specialties than surgery (which should be a warning to us as we seek reform in our health care delivery)
• African surgeons can make orders of magnitude higher salaries in the developed world

PAACS envisions African surgeons living the Gospel and healing the sick. The training programs exist to train and disciple African surgeons to glorify God and to provide excellent, compassionate care to those most in need. My role will be to assist in the training of these African surgeons - lending my expertise in Head and Neck surgery. Surgeons in Africa must be true generalist - covering all surgical problems whereas developed countries divide and subdivide into specialties. I will try to post some of my activities day by day to give a better picture of the work PAACS is doing at Tenwek hospital in Bomet, Kenya.