Surgical care in Jamaica in the laparoendoscopic era: challenges and future prospects for developing nations

In an era of technology-dependent surgery, Jamaica and other developing countries must deal with the wide disparity between their surgical practices and those of developed nations. Although there is still a place for the well-trained surgeon, the current emphasis in developed nations is less on the individual surgeon and more on the surgery team and system, with increasing costs despite diminishing government support. At the University of the West Indies, we are challenged to continue providing appropriate service and training for the Caribbean region, but we hope that a combination of fellowship-trained team leaders and partnerships with resource-rich institutions will enable us to meet this challenge and to meet the health care needs of our populace.