Dear friends,

As some of you know, next week I’ll be travelling to Tanzania with my surgical fellow from London and two other surgeons.

We’ll be working at the CCBRT hospital to support the local eye doctors with complex surgery stemming from trauma, cancer and congenital disease in the adult and paediatric population. We are also delivering a training programme to local surgeons. My colleague, Dr Rita Ohri took over this project in 2010 and I now continue this good work, with a focus on my area of expertise, ophthalmic plastic surgery.

We have been formally invited by CCBRT and the Medical Council of Tanganyika, however this project is completely self-funded with no financial aid from UK or Tanzanian organisations and there is a gap in CSR support for small-scale medical missions such as this is.

We are fundraising for necessary medical equipment and clinical supplies, as well as front-line operational costs incurred by the doctors who are donating their professional time and expertise to deliver training. With this appeal, I am hoping to provide the unit with specific powered instrumentation for periocular and upper facial reconstruction, something very much required for caring for the wider region's population. Previous experience of working in East Africa has proven to me the benefit of having the financial flexibility to identify needs on the ground and allocate funds accordingly.

Hundreds of patients attend these clinics, often traveling by foot for days to reach us, and almost never without a wide smile on their face. We encounter difficult medical conditions requiring treatments which are often a far cry from my typical London practice. Being able to supply and teach the local teams with improved equipment makes a massive and long-lasting difference on the ground.

I am not one to ask for handouts, but this project is very important to me and if you would be willing to make a contribution to this project, or forward this on, I would be immensely thankful. Any donations can be made through here and, should you feel inclined, please follow our work here .

 With grateful thanks,

Nick Koutroumanos