Reframing Global Neurosurgery: The Response to Hurricane Melissa in Jamaica as a Model for Action

Hurricane Melissa struck Jamaica on October 28, 2025, devastating the health care infrastructure and causing a surge of traumatic spinal injuries referred to the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI). Although UHWI neurosurgeons possessed the expertise to manage these cases, a shortage of spinal implant systems threatened the delivery of definitive care. This mismatch between clinical capability and material resources reflects a fundamental yet overlooked barrier in global neurosurgery. We describe a real-time, multi-institutional response involving neurosurgical leaders in Jamaica and across the United States, in collaboration with industry, government, and philanthropic institutions to facilitate an emergency donation of cervical and thoracolumbar spinal instrumentation. This response inverted the traditional global surgery paradigms by emphasizing logistical amplification rather than personnel deployment. US neurosurgical partners facilitated industry engagement, through Medtronic, to assemble hardware tailored precisely to UHWI's operative needs; the American Friends of Jamaica, a nonprofit organization, enabled compliant philanthropic transfer; and Jamaica's Ministry of Health expedited regulatory approval and customs clearance during a period of disaster-related congestion. Numerous patients received timely stabilization who otherwise risked prolonged immobilization and neurological deterioration. The Hurricane Melissa response offers a scalable blueprint for disaster-related neurosurgical support. This effort demonstrates a maturing model of global neurosurgery in which high-income country partners act not as visiting surgeons but as resource mobilizers. By reframing global neurosurgery around the principle of amplifying existing strengths, international partners can respond more effectively during crises and promote a more equitable paradigm for global surgical collaboration.