Local Engagement, Global Impact
Approximately 2 billion people lack access to emergency and essential surgical care [1]. Most of the need is in rural and marginalized populations living in low- and-middle-income countries, where the poorest one-third of the world’s population receives only 3.5 percent of all surgical procedures [2]. The lack of surgical care takes a serious human and economic toll and can lead to acute, life-threatening complications. In other instances, poor-quality care results in chronic disabilities that make productive employment impossible and impose a burden on family members and society [3].
We at OpenOR International want to facilitate greater access to life-saving surgical services.
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Rethinking Medical Device Innovation
While the production and upkeep of medical equipment in developed countries are well tuned to serve high income countries, these devices are not always transferrable to low to middle income areas of the world. This is due to a variety of complex issues; including, but not limited to:
Lack of necessary infrastructure
Lack of supply chain
Design incompatible to environment
OpenOR International is committed to increasing biomedical support for perioperative services and increasing accessibility and longevity of surgical equipment in developing countries.
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Supporting Local Professionals
Many organizations focus on sending personnel and material from developed countries. We, on the other hand, would like to develop capacity at the local level. Understanding that long lasting improvement in healthcare outside of high income countries require local communities to grow, we are committed to listening to the people we serve so that we can come alongside and support local perioperative professionals.
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Growing Local Capacity and Capability
We want to enable local professionals to perform at their full potential, which may be hindered by lack of tools, lack of critical support information (like manuals), and lack of access to critical supplies.
We would like to introduce key manufacturing technologies and capability at the local level so local professionals can cut their dependence on foreign assistance.
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Connecting People
We want to connect like minded medical professionals to come together to improve the quality of surgical services in communities of need. As such, we are committed to facilitating opportunities for medical professionals to participate in medical missions with partner hospitals and organizations.
