PORTABLE ENDOSCOPY IN JUNGLE SETTINGS: INITIAL EXPERIENCE FROM A PILOT PROJECT IN RURAL MYANMAR grace.tanse@mohh.com.sg

PW07-04

PORTABLE ENDOSCOPY IN JUNGLE SETTINGS: INITIAL EXPERIENCE FROM A PILOT PROJECT IN RURAL MYANMAR

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Singapore

Oral or Poster

Endoscopy is a life-saving and essential medical procedure. However, the availability of endoscopic services in resource-constrained settings is limited. Challenges to providing endoscopy in rural areas include high cost of instruments, bulky equipment, and lack of trained endoscopists. We share our initial experience in the use of portable, low-cost endoscopy in a jungle setting in rural Myanmar.

We sourced for low-cost, portable endoscopes from EndoFresh, a Chinese company specializing in disposable endoscopy products. 4 gastroscopes and 1 camera system were obtained. In conjunction with Earth Mission, a non-profit organization that focuses on improving healthcare in remote jungle communities in southeast Myanmar, we piloted the use of these portable endoscopes in the mountainous jungle regions of Myanmar. A team of 2 general surgeons partnered with the local doctors to provide training in upper gastrointestinal endoscopy over a period of 2 weeks in January 2025. Patient’s presenting with symptoms of dyspepsia or epigastric pain were selected to undergo gastroscopy.

To date, a total of 40 diagnostic gastroscopy procedures have been performed. The diagnosis of gastric cancer was made in 1 patients, laryngeal cancer in 1 patient, oesophageal varices in 1 patient, hiatal hernia in 4 patients, and gastritis in 11 patients. To reduce cost, each scope was disinfected between cases and reused until battery life ran out – likely due to circuitry damage from water ingress.

Our initial experience demonstrates that the use of low-cost portable endoscopy in rural jungle settings is feasible and cost-effective.