Without the assistance of his usual medical team, leading Rambam surgeon, Dr. Yotam Shkedy recently performed complicated head and neck surgeries in Ethiopia.
Photography: Rambam HCC
Dr. Yotam Shkedy, Attending Physician, Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery at Rambam Health Care Campus, recently returned from a mission to Ethiopia, where he operated on locals who have cancerous growths in their oral cavity. Usually, Shekdy performs this type of surgery at Rambam, with a highly experienced, multidisciplinary medical team. This time however, he was there to teach a local team how to perform the procedure at Saint Peters Specialized Hospital in Addis Ababa.
“Otolaryngology-head and neck tumor surgery can be complex and challenging, and hot having the medical support we are used to, was a formidable challenge – nevertheless, we were successful," Shkedy explained.
Shkedy performed numerous surgeries on patients with head and neck tumors and he intends to return to Addis Ababa to do more.
Besides treating patients, these surgeries served as a learning experience for local medical practitioners. Rambam hopes to establish a permanent relationship with Saint Peters Specialized Hospital.
"There is a huge gap - Ethiopia’s healthcare practices are widely different to Israel’s. Our healthcare is world-class and we are extremely lucky to have such care. Much of what we take for granted, are the dreams and aspirations of many other cultures. We have a real opportunity to be part of a critical change in places that really need our help. It's very exciting to be a part of it," Shkedy concluded.