BFIRST May Newsletter 2026
02 June 2026
(Last updated: 2 Jun 2026 15:05)
Opportunity for LMIC surgeon to attend world tetrahand congress in the UK in September 2026
The World Tetrahand Congress has been granted funding from the International Federation of Societies for Surgery of the Hand (IFSSH) to fully fund 3 surgeons working in low or middle income countries to attend the World Tetrahand Congress on 22-23rd September 2026, in Aylesbury, UK.
Applications are open until 15th June 2026.
Click here for more information and to apply.
BFIRST Essay Prize
The BFIRST Essay Prize is now closed.
We have received 31 submissions, from individuals based in the UK, Australia, Zambia, Morocco and Bangladesh, for the essay titled “How can harnessing AI transform surgical care in resource-poor countries – for better or worse?”
The submissions are currently being marked and we look forward to announcing the winner soon.
Chihena Banda to visit Canada
Dr Chihena Banda, Consultant at Lusaka University Teaching Hospital, and our main local collaborator for the Zambia project, will be visiting Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada, in June, funded by the Canadian Society of Plastic Surgeons for their meeting and for a clinical observership, where he will be joined by BFIRST founder, Barbara Jemec. We look forward to hearing more about this visit!
Meet the Team
Anoopama Ramjeeawon: Fundraising, Events and Communications subcommittee
Tell us about yourself!
My name is Anoo, in my role on the BFIRST Fundraising, Events and Communications subcommittee I produce the BFIRST newsletter and manage our website. I have worked as a trust registrar in plastic surgery for just over 2 years, in trusts based in the South-East of England and Wales, and am looking forward to starting my NTN post in August this year, joining several of my BFIRST colleagues in the North West Deanery. I am bringing you this month’s newsletter from Malawi, where I am currently volunteering at the LION unit.
Tell us about your time with BFIRST
I have been involved with BFIRST since 2022, initially through the Fundraising Subcommittee, then joining the BFIRST Trainees Committee as the public and internal relations coordinator in 2024, and now on the Fundraising, Events and Communications subcommittee.
Why did you want to work with BFIRST?
My family background is from Mauritius, a middle income country, which highlighted global inequity in access to healthcare. This was further reinforced through my medical school electives in Tanzania and Vietnam. These experiences developed my interest in global surgery. I wanted to work with BFIRST because the BFIRST approach is to collaborate with, train and empower local surgeons which I think produces more sustainable and locally acceptable improvements in plastic surgery services.
What are your aspirations for BFIRST?
I would like to see BFIRST continue to have recurring projects worldwide to help improve equity in access to plastic surgery services, with more opportunities for trainees to be actively involved, inspiring an interest and future ongoing involvement in global surgery, and international collaboration.
What do you like to do outside of work and BFIRST?
Outside of work and BFIRST I enjoy playing tennis and travelling, including taking every opportunity to go scuba diving and paddleboarding.
Webinars
BFIRST 2026 Webinar Series
Please follow our socials for updates about future webinars.
If you have missed any of the webinars from last year, you can watch them on our website including some fantastic webinars for revision of key topics within Plastic Surgery!
Our previous webinars are now also available via our YouTube channel!
Projects
Zambia
In March 2026, the BFIRST team, led by Mr Earl Gardner, and returned to the University Teaching Hospital (UTH) in Lusaka, Zambia, to continue its partnership in developing hand surgery services and specialist training:
Children’s Theatre Staff
Being in Zambia as part of the BFIRST plastic surgery project was once again a great pleasure; even if getting there was a much lengthier adventure than I hoped for. Many thanks, however, to Emirates for not only getting me to Zambia and back safely, despite the outbreak of war and cancelled flights, but also for funding the flight. Likewise, special thanks to Laura Awad for all her initiative and hard work in securing this Emirates foundation charitable funding for BFIRST.
Two hand therapists, Kirsty Van Stormbroek and Nicola Ehlers from South Africa, joined the project this time which, with all their pan African experience in training and clinical initiatives, not to mention their clinical expertise, was such a huge asset.
Together we stayed in the hospital apartment where we enjoyed excellent accommodation. Special thanks go to our Zambian colleagues for organising this. Returning soon after my last visit had so many advantages: renewing, in person, the friendships I made with the Zambian team, and being ready from the get-go, now that I was already familiar with their systems. Formal teaching of tendon transfers and rehabilitation post tendon repair was also able to start on day one. Knowing the team meant it could be a lot more personalised and collaborative. Likewise, an early start to teaching meant we were able to address the need, highlighted in the last visit, for more opportunities to reinforce and apply the teaching throughout the week.
Faculty with some of the participants at the Tendon Repair Workshop on the 25th March 2026
A highlight of this visit was the midweek tendon repair techniques workshop modelled on surgical training workshops with cost related adaptions. Thanks to Dr Banda for securing the pigs trotters! It meant hand on practice for the trainees and again a truly individualised learning experience.
Alongside formal teaching and training there were plenty of opportunities for more informal collaborative learning in clinical settings. Again, we were able to build on the teamwork already in place with planning and discussion of cases happening together well before my arrival. One challenge we faced was patient’s late presentation; one my Zambian colleagues are only too familiar with, as patients’ needs far outweighs services. The University Hospital of Lusaka serves patients from all over Zambia; Zambia being the combined size of the UK and France! Patients, therefore, have to somehow find resources to travel great distances to access care. A heartbreaking example, during the week, was a young woman with a lower arm sarcoma so far advanced it was too late for there to be a successful outcome.
Sharing Ideas
On the more positive side, a patient with longstanding severe hand injuries was admitted during the project week with the first stage of his tendon reconstruction undertaken. This gave us all an excellent opportunity to apply the week’s formal teaching to clinical practice. Moreover, tendon reconstruction is now being planned for this patient. It was very satisfying to see the future benefits of the project come together in these life changing ways.
An amazing dinner arranged by our hosts!
A final highlight was, on my last day, leading the grand round for no better reason than the arrival of Dr Banda’s baby!
All in all, it was a wonderful privilege to be part of BFIRST’s collaboration in Zambia and to be welcomed back so generously by our Zambian colleagues. Already I am looking forward to returning.
Fellowships
BFIRST Fellows
The 2026 BFIRST fellows have been selected, congratulations to:
Dr Lambert Onahi Iji from Nigeria
Dr Masroor-ur-Rahman from Bangladesh
Dr Lambert Onahi Iji has already arrived in the UK, and is in Leeds, placed with the Cleft Surgery team, Congenital Hand team and Hand Trauma team.
Previous BFIRST fellows to deliver a webinar on setting up a microsurgery service
Two previous BFIRST fellows will be delivering talks about their experiences of setting up a local microsurgical service: Dr Abdurezak Ali, from Addis Ababa, and Dr Kemi Ayoede, from Lagos.
They will be joined by Dr Chihena Banda, from Lusaka, our main collaborator for the Zambia project.
This webinar will take place on 1st August 2026, we will share further details and the link to join once available.
Dr Tobi Abass: BFIRST fellow in Taiwan
Dr Abass is currently completing a 12 month BFIRST fellowship in Taiwan, under professor Seng-Feng Jeng:
I have continued to make good progress in my microsurgery fellowship. This month I had the opportunity to deliver a presentation sharing my experience so far to two important groups: Hospital representatives and a visiting delegation from India. It was a valuable chance to reflect on the journey, highlight key learning points, and discuss the impact of advanced microsurgical techniques in resource-limited settings.
Concurrently, I have initiated a feasibility study for establishing a microsurgery team in my home country. The objective is to effectively transfer the advanced skills and knowledge acquired during this fellowship into sustainable clinical practice within my home environment. Discussions with Dr Ayoade, a previous BFIRST fellow, have been instrumental in this crucial next phase. Her insights and practical advice regarding anticipated challenges have been invaluable, providing guidance on navigating the complexities of team formation and implementation within a developing context.
I continue to be profoundly grateful to BFIRST for this transformative opportunity and opportunity and anticipate sharing further developments in the forthcoming months.
Fundraising
We would be grateful for any donations to help support our work.
Tough Mudder
BFIRST are planning to enter a team for Tough Mudder in September, if you are keen to join the BFIRST Tough Mudder team let us know here!
BFIRST Scrub Hats
We launched the BFIRST scrub hats at the BAPRAS Congress in December 2025, which were hugely popular, if you would like to purchase a hat please email: hcroberts46@gmail.com.
All proceeds will fund work undertaken by BFIRST!
Easyfundraising
Raise free funds for BFIRST with your everyday online shopping, visit easyfundraising to get started.
When shopping online by signing up to Easyfundraising your purchases will generate free funding for BFIRST!
Other
Open Hand Therapy Initiative
The Open Hand Therapy Initiative aims to improve hand injury care in resource challenged settings in order to reduce disability, improve quality of life and increase chances of work for people with hand injuries and conditions.
They provide accessible, relevant and captivating learning opportunities for generalist occupational therapists and physiotherapists that motivate ongoing development for hand-injury care.
They also invite hand therapists acquainted with the challenges faced in low to middle income countries to participate in strengthening hand injury care in these settings by sharing their expertise.
For more information click here!