On the eve of International Women’s Day, attention turns to the contributions of women in healthcare across Africa. Matron Betsy Deen, a leader in surgical care at Connaught Hospital, is playing a key role in improving healthcare standards in Sierra Leone.
Leadership in surgical care
Managing a hospital requires coordination and leadership. Matron Betsy Deen leads the surgical department at Connaught Hospital, ensuring the system functions efficiently. As a Surgical Matron, she oversees surgical teams and contributes to training programmes that strengthen Sierra Leone’s healthcare system.
During Mercy Ships’ 2023-24 field service in Freetown, healthcare professionals participated in Education, Training, and Advocacy (ETA) programmes designed to improve medical capacity. Matron Deen was among those who received training aboard the Global Mercy™. She played a key role in bridging connections between Mercy Ships and local healthcare staff.
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Breaking barriers in surgery
Matron Deen has worked in the surgical field for over three decades. She began her nursing career in 1991 before specialising in perioperative nursing. At Connaught Hospital, she trains surgical nurses and contributes to strengthening the healthcare system.
Her time aboard the Global Mercy™ provided exposure to surgical services, hospital administration, and patient care processes.
“Through the ETA [programme], I was able to broaden my horizon of knowledge on various areas such as team building, patient safety, patient satisfaction, administration in the operating theatre, and sterile processing,” she said.
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Women leading change in healthcare
Across Africa, women are contributing to the transformation of healthcare. Matron Deen’s role goes beyond managing surgeries—she fosters continuous learning and improvement within healthcare services. The training she received from Mercy Ships enables her to introduce new techniques and best practices to her team at Connaught Hospital.
“The training that nurses are receiving [from Mercy Ships] is very important because the time that the nurse spends [provides them with the] opportunity to experience international standards. There are so many things for them to learn from the different hospital systems and processes that are in place,” she explained.
She has encouraged members of her team to take part in Mercy Ships’ training, ensuring that more nurses benefit from the knowledge gained. This exposure strengthens surgical capacity in Sierra Leone.
“The most impactful to me was the opportunity to be part of the team briefing on the Global Mercy. The briefing takes place in the morning before the first case of the day, in the presence of all surgical team members to discuss plans. This is the organisation structure that I brought back to my own team.”
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Improving surgical processes
Since returning from training, Matron Deen has implemented changes in Connaught Hospital’s surgical department. She has trained her team on scheduling, anticipating cancellations, and addressing special needs in patient care.
“I really hope in the short term we can fully implement the processes I learned with Mercy Ships. Since I have been back, I have trained my team on how to understand our surgical schedules and lists better, how to anticipate cancellations, and how to address special needs, to name a few,” she said.
Strengthening Sierra Leone’s healthcare system
Matron Deen emphasised the importance of the collaboration between Mercy Ships and the Ministry of Health.
“This partnership between Mercy Ships and the Ministry of Health is very important because it not only continues to carry out free surgeries for people in high need in Sierra Leone, but it also seeks to train healthcare personnel and gives them the opportunity to improve our knowledge,” she said.
With a shortage of accessible surgical care in Sierra Leone, the knowledge gained from Mercy Ships’ training is helping to bridge gaps in the system.
“I am a surgical nurse. That’s my specialty; that’s my area. And yet we have so many people in Sierra Leone that cannot get access to proper surgical care for one reason or the other. So, this partnership between Mercy Ships and the Ministry is very important because it not only continues to carry out free surgeries for people in high need in Sierra Leone, it also seeks to train healthcare personnel and gives them the opportunity to improve our knowledge,” she said.
The long-term engagement between Mercy Ships and Sierra Leone’s healthcare system is expected to improve surgical standards. The introduction of international best practices and ongoing training will enhance medical outcomes and strengthen the sector.
“We can focus on acquiring skills to implement at our facility level to strengthen our capacity. Training like this indirectly saves thousands of lives. And that is what Mercy Ships is doing, and I just think it’s great,” she said.
