Goals and Objectives
Our Mission
The SEAL Global Surgery Program at East Tennessee State University works to improve surgical care in countries with limited resources by partnering with local providers and strengthening health system capacity.
The program brings together surgeons, anesthesiologists, nurses, researchers, and international partners to support the delivery of safe, high-quality surgical care in low- and middle-income countries. Its work is guided by four strategic pillars:
- Delivering direct surgical care
- Assisting in long-term capacity building
- Improving access to care by providing appropriate support
- Strengthening team leadership
What We Do
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Where We Work
Monze Mission Hospital (MMH) is a 276-bed teaching hospital in southwestern Zambia serving 600,000 to 800,000 people through a partnership between the Catholic Church and the Ministry of Health.
Under the leadership of Dr. Sufyan Ibrahim, chief surgeon and clinical head, MMH trains nurses, Clinical Officers, and senior medical students. The hospital runs a nursing school, a four-year surgical residency, and is preparing new residency programs in obstetrics/gynecology and pediatrics. Interns rotate 18 months across core specialties for hands-on training.
MMH sees a high volume of complex cases, including heart attacks, strokes, TB, diabetes complications, malnutrition, sickle cell disease, trauma, burns, and 6,000 annual deliveries—about 25 percent by C-section.
Known for its welcoming staff and commitment to teaching, the hospital conducts rounds in English with translation available. It also produces its own IV fluids, reflecting its focus on quality care and self-sufficiency.
Sufyan Ibrahim, M.D.
CHIEF SURGEON AT MONZE MISSION'S HOSPITAL
Dr. Sufyan Ahmed Ibrahim earned his Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery in 2013 from the University of Zambia School of Medicine. He has worked at University Teaching Hospital in Lusaka, Kalomo District Hospital, and Monze Mission Hospital, serving as an intern, senior resident medical officer, and general medical officer from 2013 to 2022.
Since 2022, he has been the acting head of the Department of Surgery at Monze Mission Hospital. In 2018, he was recognized as the hospital’s most hard-working medical officer.
His career interests include complex abdominal, colorectal, and urological surgery, as well as vesico-vaginal fistula repair. His goal is to expand access to specialized surgical care in rural Zambia.
SAGAM Community Hospital is a 52-bed rural community hospital, located west of Kisumu, Kenya. The hospital serves an area of Nyanza province. The hospital has three operating theaters and is currently performing C-sections for complicated pregnancies. The hospital provides emergency care, maternity, childcare, and outpatient care.
Dr. Khama Rogo M.D.PhD
Director of SAGAM Community Hospital
Dr. Khama Rogo earned his MD/PhD in gynecologic oncology in Sweden. After a career in academic medicine across three continents, he has spent more than two decades advocating for reproductive health rights internationally.
He has served as president of the Kenya Medical Association and the Kenya Cancer Society, chairman of Kenya’s National Council for Population and Development, leader of the Kenya OBGYN Society, and chairman of the Centre for the Study of Adolescence in Nairobi.
Rogo has authored more than 100 peer-reviewed papers, chapters, and books. He continues his academic work through adjunct professorships, lectures, and supervision of postgraduate students at universities in Africa, Europe, and North America.
Koidu Government Hospital (KGH) in Sierra Leone’s Kono District is a 250-bed teaching hospital supported by Partners In Health. It provides services in internal medicine, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, surgery, emergency care, infectious disease, and maternal health. Known for its high patient volume, KGH manages a wide range of complex surgical cases and serves patients from across Sierra Leone as well as neighboring Liberia and Guinea.The hospital is also a training hub, hosting medical students and residents through the Ministry of Health and the West African College of Surgeons programs. Trainees gain hands-on experience under national specialists and mentors. In 2026, KGH will expand with the opening of the 120-bed Maternal Center of Excellence, which will grow the existing 48-bed maternal ward and baby unit into a state-of-the-art facility for care, innovation, and workforce training in a rural setting.
Dr. Kilongo Papy Mulailwa
Medical Director and Head of Surgery:
Dr. Kilongo Papy Mulailwa is the medical director at Partners In Health Sierra Leone (PIH-SL). Originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo, he began working at Koidu Government Hospital eight years ago as the hospital’s only surgeon, performing complex procedures in an operating room with no separation from the minor procedure area or waiting room.
Despite these conditions, he and his team provided lifesaving surgery to a population of more than one million people. Over the years, Dr. Kilongo has helped expand the hospital’s surgical capacity while mentoring staff. He now oversees the surgery department as medical director and broader organizational operations as interim deputy executive director.