The work of our Theatre team was beamed across the world as they undertook a laparoscopic (keyhole) surgery in front of a live audience during a session at the Kenyan Devolution Conference.

It allowed us to share our work while building international relationships, see how they do things differently and learn from each other. It was also a chance to showcase the technology which makes it possible to connect across continents, enabling best practice to be shared for the benefit of everyone.

Our surgeon, Niroo Rajendran, who guided the audience through the procedure, which was carried out by colleague Aman Bhargava, said:

It was a great opportunity for us to share the technology we use and what we’ve learned about keyhole surgery. But it’s not just us teaching them, it is a two-way exchange of information.

There’s lots for us to learn about how healthcare systems in other parts of the world cut through their waiting lists with minimum resource. In India, for example, there are high rates of rectal cancer. We have among the highest in London and still see a fraction of what they do, so we can learn from how they streamline their services and get their patients seen.

The live surgical session, on Thursday 14 August, was hosted by the British High Commission Office in Nairobi and Proximie, which broadcast the surgery from our theatre to an audience of hundreds at the conference. It was also joined by colleagues in Uganda.

Leigh Stubblefield, UK Deputy High Commissioner to Kenya, oversaw the session from Kenya, speaking to our team, who were operating at King George Hospital.

Shannon Shibata-Germanos, Head of Global Health at Proximie, said: 

This moment was a powerful demonstration of what technology-enabled partnerships can achieve. By connecting London, Kenya, and Uganda in a single surgery, we showed how best practice can flow seamlessly across borders.

Overall, the conference was attended by up to 10,000 people from across Kenya’s 47 countries, with representatives across government, health and the private sector, including governors who play a central role in delivering healthcare services.

This wasn’t the first time our surgeons have shared their expertise internationally from our own operating theatres. In May we joined members of the United Nations (UN) from their headquarters in New York, along with surgeons in a UN field hospital in South Sudan, and colleagues in Uganda and Nairobi for live surgery. Before that, our surgeons were operating live at the Future Surgery Conference at the ExCel in London last October.

Pictured is Leigh Stubblefield, UK Deputy High Commissioner to Kenya, speaking at the conference in Kenya during the live surgery session.