Goemkarponn desk
PANAJI: The Government of Goa, through the Public Health Department and Goa Medical College, in association with GICAM (Groupe International Chirurgiens Amis de la Main), has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to establish a World Standard Hand Surgery Unit (HSU) and a Centre of Excellence in Hand Care within the Super Speciality Block at Goa Medical College. GICAM, a Swiss Foundation based in Lugano, Switzerland, will collaborate on this initiative.
This unit will include surgical, rehabilitation, and prosthetic divisions and will also develop and oversee a Hand Surgery and Hand Rehabilitation Clinical Fellowship Program at Goa Medical College.
This joint venture involves the Government of Goa, the GICAM Foundation, and Goa Medical College, represented by the Department of Orthopaedics and the Department of Plastic Surgery and Burns. Dr S. M. Bandekar, Dean, Professor, and Head of Orthopaedics, will serve as the Nodal Officer of the Unit, with representatives from the GICAM Foundation headed by Prof. Marco Lanzetta Bertani, GICAM’s Founder and President, and the Head of the Department of Plastic Surgery and Burns as members.
The unit will manage both elective and emergency cases related to hand and upper limb conditions. It will feature an outpatient clinic, an inpatient care area with a Rehabilitation Unit, and attached Operation Theatres (OT).
The Department of Orthopaedics will handle bone-related clinical work of the upper limb, including the wrist, forearm, and arm, and will assist the Department of Plastic Surgery and Burns in managing soft tissue-related issues of the upper limb and bony structure of the hand.
In the first phase, regular outpatient clinics with joint consultations between Orthopaedic Surgeons and Plastic Surgeons have been initiated. These clinics are held on Thursdays from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. on the 7th floor of the OPD area of the Department of Plastic Surgery, which started from July 1st.
During Phase II, a surgical camp will be held from August 9th to 17th, offering consultations, day care, inpatient operative procedures, and rehabilitation services, including physiotherapy, occupational therapy, and orthotic and prosthetic workshops. The first camp will take place in the existing infrastructure of Goa Medical College & Hospital. The international faculty for this camp will be announced shortly.
Founded in 1998, GICAM’s mission is to organize humanitarian programs in Hand Surgery, Orthopaedics, and Reconstructive Microsurgery, particularly in Asia, Africa, and South America. GICAM focuses on providing surgical operations and continuous care, prioritizing women and children. The Foundation aims to initiate and support hand surgery and rehabilitation/physiotherapy programs, especially for children suffering from trauma, burns, congenital malformations, paralysis, amputations, and other conditions requiring functional and/or aesthetic reconstruction. This support can also extend to adults with similar needs.
Additionally, GICAM provides training for surgical, medical, paramedical, and nursing personnel to transfer and disseminate skills, work ethic, and moral principles locally, thereby improving care quality and reconstructive treatment for disadvantaged populations. Since 2016, GICAM has been active in Jamkhed, India, restoring hand functionality for many individuals. These missions have significantly improved the quality of life for people affected by burns or deformities of their hands.
