Santiago, Chile
Created as the Latin-American Gastrointestinal Endoscopy Training Center in 1997. Output since then has been 54 national and 101 non-Chilean physicians trained, along with 13 endoscopy assistants. Recognized as an OMGE center of 'advanced training'.

For more information:
Bridget Barbieri
Medconnect, Brünnsteinstr. 10
81541 Munich, Germany
Tel.: + 49 89 4141 9240
Fax: + 49 89 4141 9245
 

La Paz, Bolivia
Built in 1979 with Japanese government funding for the training of GE hysicians, including study trips to Japan and work by Japanese experts in Bolivia. Recognized as an OMGE training center in 2003. The Bolivian-Japanese Gastroenterology Institute (website in Spanish) provides training in diagnostic and therapeutic endoscopy for GEs from Argentina, Brazil, Peru, Paraguay and Uruguay.

Contact Oscar Calderon MD
President, Sociedad Boliviana de Gastroenterología
socbolgasocv@hotmail.com
 

Rabat, Morocco
Based on a 2002 agreement between OMGE and Ministry of High Education, opened Jan. 27, 2003. Mission is to "provide theoretical and practical continuous training in hepatology and gastroenterology to French-speaking gastroenterologists from Africa."

Contact Prof. Naïma Amrani
Chief of hepato-gastroenterology
University Hospital of Ibn Sina, Rabat
Tel. + 212 37 67 28 71
Fax + 212 37 67 08 61
 

Cairo, Egypt
The Cairo Training Centre (CTC) opened March 2004, with 26 trainees from 15 nations in Africa and the Middle East. Didactic sessions and hands-on training given under supervision of Cairo gastroenterologist Prof. Hussein Abdel Hamid at the Theodor Bilharz Institute.

Contact: sanaabotros@link.net
 

Soweto, South Africa
The African Institute for Digestive Diseases (AIDD) was opened in 1999, thanks to the doggedness of Issy Segal MD, the diplomacy and fundraising skills of OMGE Past President Prof. Meinhard Classen, and the passion and muscle of Prof. Guido Tytgat, all of whom worked hand-in-hand inside Soweto's sprawling Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital, South Africa, cradle of the first of OMGE's seven training centers.
 

Karachi, Pakistan
OMGE's training center at Aga Khan University has held two ISDN video-line learning sessions with physicians at the Technical University hospital in Munich since May, 2003. Plans are to rebroadcast the next interactive video hook-up with Europe to smaller training centers around Pakistan.

Contact: Professor S. M. Wasim Jafri
Chairman of AKU Medical College
wasim.jafri@aku.edu
 

Bangkok, Thailand
Inauguration of Bangkok training center planned for early 2005, serving Thailand, neighboring countries and south-east Asia.

For more information:
Bridget Barbieri
Medconnect, Brünnsteinstr. 10
81541 Munich, Germany
Tel.: + 49 89 4141 9240
Fax: + 49 89 4141 9245