Dr. Nebiyou Ermias Gebremariam
Plastic Surgery Fellow
AIC Kijabe Hospital
Kenya
Dr. Nebiyou Ermias Gebremariam is the first fellow in the PAACS Plastic Surgery Program at AIC Kijabe Hospital in Kenya. He is addressing a pressing need in sub-Saharan Africa, where the demand for reconstructive surgery due to burns, injuries, and congenital disorders far exceeds the available capacity. Despite Africa recording approximately one million burns annually, there remains only a handful of trained plastic and reconstructive surgeons to manage these complex cases.
Amid this challenging backdrop, Dr. Gebremariam is not only advancing his surgical skills but also deepening his spiritual foundations. "I have had the privilege of learning from some of the best in the world through PAACS," Dr. Gebremariam explains. "Equally important has been the spiritual mentorship I have received, which has grown my passion and skill in integrating spiritual care for my patients." This holistic approach is seen through weekly prayer rounds, where Dr. Gebremariam and the team dedicate time to pray for their patients and share the word of God. PAACS has shown him how to seamlessly blend his surgical practice with spiritual care.
Dr. Gebremariam's training has deepened his knowledge and skills in surgery and research methodology, where he has been able to publish his first paper, with the expectation of publishing more soon. His training was also enhanced by an external rotation. Through an exchange program together with COSECSA and SmileTrain, he participated in a rotation in Rwanda. There he was able to step into the world of microsurgery and was introduced to microsurgical reconstruction.
Reflecting on the impact of his work, Dr. Gebremariam emphasizes, "research shows that a single surgeon in a low-income country can have a lifetime impact of over 400,000 patients through their training of others, each interaction offering a chance for spiritual support." Motivated by this potential, Dr. Gebremariam is eager about mentoring future generations of Christian plastic surgeons, aiming to witness the multigenerational multiplied impact firsthand. He looks forward to enhancing their reconstructive surgery skills and fostering their ability to integrate spiritual care into surgical practice. He describes Christian plastic surgery in Africa as “high-yielding fruit”. Each surgical intervention has the potential not only for God to heal but for lives to be transformed through faith.
