Dr. Rómulo Silva, an orthopedic surgeon in Portugal, was one of the first volunteers to serve at HVO’s new partner site at Hospital de Clinicas in Asunción, Paraguay. Dr. Silva has always had an interest in volunteerism, travel, and learning. As a resident, he traveled to Italy and Belgium for training, and then on to Japan and Korea as a fellow. After these experiences, he wanted to understand what it is like to work with fewer resources and overcome the challenges faced by resource-scare areas. When he found HVO through a Google search, it seemed like a good fit. When HVO launched the Paraguay project, he jumped at the chance to go.
Dr. Silva enjoyed working with his Paraguayan colleagues, and formed a particular connection Dr. Tomás Gonzalez, a local knee surgeon. “We worked very nicely together,” said Dr. Silva. “It felt like we had known each other for a long, long time. We shared our experiences. He told me how he does things, I told him how I do things. We learned together. We connected as people.” Dr. Silva also worked with the residents, accompanying them on rounds and discussing cases. He invited one resident to visit his home institution in Portugal, and the resident will stay for a month in April. “This is the most impact we can have,” said Dr. Silva. “He will come here to see how we operate, and not just on knee surgery, which is what I focused on during my visit. He is interested in other areas as well. I have talked with my colleagues here with other expertise. What he will get from this experience will be much more than the one week I was able to spend there.”
Dr. Gonzalez will likely make a trip to Portugal in the near future as well. “[Hospital de Clinicas] hasn’t started doing unicompartmental knee arthroplasty – partial knee replacement. My hospital has a large volume of cases, so we do it a lot. I told him, if you want to come, I can aggregate some cases so you can gain experience. We are arranging it,” said Dr. Silva. “Dr. Gonzalez and I created a very good relationship. We have been discussing cases via WhatsApp. I show him what I’m doing, and he sends me some of his cases for advice. Once he goes back home, that’s when the most impact will be had.”
Thanks to his welcoming hosts, Dr. Silva loved his week in Asunción. “The people were really, really welcoming and friendly. They were always available after work, taking me out to dinner and showing me the city. I really loved it, both the professional experience and the city. I plan on going back.” Speaking on the importance of educational opportunities, Dr. Silva shared, “They don’t have the same opportunities we do for going abroad for conferences, congresses, fellowships. Sometimes it’s just important that as volunteers we share what we are doing and discuss options. Professionally, it’s very important to have opportunities to share knowledge and questions and experience.” Speaking about what the experience has meant to him, Dr. Silva said, “We never know where we are going to end up – we never know what will come our way, as COVID showed us. I think expanding your vision is very important. For both sides. When you go places where people access to better technology and resources you will get to see people doing things you rarely have a chance to do. Repetition builds excellence. But it’s also very important to see people managing without access to the same resources. They are still treating their patients as best they can with what they have. In Portugal, in the US, as doctors we always face inconveniences and things we don’t expect. We need to be ready for challenges. Having these volunteer experiences, learning from other people, this is the best way. Teaching and learning, they are connected. It is difficult to teach without also learning. I am a people person, so I like making friends everywhere I go. The experience through HVO went great. I congratulate HVO for your organization.”
HVO’s Paraguay project was immediately so popular that it has booked up through this year, with a waiting list. For information on other orthopedic volunteering opportunities, visit https://hvousa.org/specialty-areas/orthopaedics/ or contact Program Coordinator Natalie Cary at n.cary@hvousa.org.
HVO Orthopaedic Educational Scholarship:
The HVO Orthopaedic Educational Scholarship funds the professional development of orthopaedic surgeons and senior orthopaedic residents from HVO project sites. This scholarship supports health workers in resource-scarce countries by enabling them to pursue educational opportunities that support building local capacity. For more information, visit https://hvousa.org/hvo-orthopaedic-educational-scholarship/.