Project Surgical Outreach for Underprivileged Localities, or Project SOUL for short, is a charity medical mission where the NUS Department of Surgery sends surgical professionals and medical students to neighbouring countries that requires surgical facilities and expertise. The aim of Project SOUL is to operate, teach, support and supplement the health services in these countries.
Since receiving the donation from Lee Foundation in 2012, Project SOUL has been an excellent training platform for our local doctors, trainees and medical students, as it gave them the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding and insight into lives, and experience working under harsh conditions and advanced diseases. It has also complemented NUS medical curriculum by nurturing high-quality surgeons with a spirit of volunteerism and compassion.
The medical undergraduates involved in these missions were excited and motivated to help run the outpatient clinics under supervision from the surgical teams in the different localities, connect with the various local medical personnel on the ground, and learn from interacting with the diverse patient populations. These young medical students got first-hand information and experiences in managing patients in less-than-ideal conditions which will help shape them into better doctors and individuals in the future.
Through Project SOUL, the underprivileged medical communities overseas have also been benefitting by having access to surgical treatments from world-class experts, including complex surgical procedures not available in their country. In many of the locations, the local hospital facility does not have any surgical equipment that can justifiably be used with good intent on the patients. As part of Project SOUL, the team will purchase equipment that safely delivers anesthesia to patients, perform difficult procedures with some ease, and demonstrate complex procedures to both the local surgeons and our medical students.
Project SOUL also organises training sessions for the overseas doctors and nurses at the mission locations. Sessions are always organised for them in conjunction with surgery procedures. This will enable the overseas local medical practitioners to assist, learn, and conduct such procedures on their own in the future.
December 2016: Kyaikthyo town, Mon State Myanmar Institutions
The team of 5 consultants, 6 residents, 2 General Practitioners, 7 medical students and 1 nurse handled over 100 cases of outpatient surgeries. They also offered primary healthcare to patients under the guidance of local medical practitioners, supported health screening for children as well as conducted health education lessons for local teachers and students.
May 2017: Walubi 2017@ Borobudur, Indonesia
The team of 3 senior consultants, 3 consultants, 5 residents and 6 medical students handled over 100 general surgeries.
January 2018: Defense Services Hospital, Yangon, Myanmar
The team of 1 consultant, 3 residents and 6 medical students handled 40 complex cases which included hand, head and neck cancer, congenital abnormalities (children) and trauma.
March 2018: Orphanage at lnle Lake, Myanmar
The team of 2 senior consultants, 3 consultants, 5 residents, 7 medical students and 2 nurses handled various cases of General surgeries, dentistry and pediatrics consultation.
April 2018: Siaton District Hospital, Negro Oriental, Philippines
The team of 3 senior consultants, 5 residents and 3 medical students handled 30 cases of cleft lip, thyroid, hernia and multiple minor operations, surgeries, dentistry and pediatrics consultation.
Students from NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine are also invited to volunteer for Project SOUL. This provides them with good experience and exposure to various cases and scenarios that might not usually be seen in Singapore. Here what our past volunteers have to say about their experience:
