Children’s surgery network expands
Otlarongwa Kgweetsi | Friday June 27, 2025 09:48
The charity, which is based in Edinburgh, Scotland, opened the facility on June 24, five years ahead of its target to install 100 dedicated surgical theatres by 2030. Just two days later, the team will open its 101st operating room in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. “This new operating room will be truly life-changing for children in Botswana,” said Dr Kutlo Moalosi, the head of Paediatric Surgery at Princess Marina Hospital.
“It allows us to treat conditions earlier, avoid complications and help children grow up healthy and strong. More than that, it provides hope. It signals that children here matter just as much as children anywhere else in the world,” Moalosi said. Founded in 2018 by Garreth and Nicola Wood, Kids Operating Room has so far enabled over 680,000 surgeries for children in countries across Africa, Asia, and South and Central America. In some places, the facilities are the only ones that focus exclusively on surgical care for children. The operating room in Gaborone was made possible through the support of British entrepreneur Steve Lansdown and his wife Maggie, who have partnered with the charity to expand surgical access in Botswana. Each facility is designed to carry out up to 2,000 operations a year. The Gaborone room is equipped with child-friendly tools, colourful walls, and solar power, which allows surgical teams to continue their work during power outages. “This is not just a number,” said Nicola Wood, co-founder of the charity. “It represents lives saved, disabilities prevented and a global movement that believes every child deserves access to safe surgery.”
The approach taken by the charity combines permanent infrastructure with training for local surgical teams. Their goal is not only to install equipment but to build a long-lasting system for care. “When Nicola and I founded Kids Operating Room, it was with a vision that no child should suffer or die simply because they were born in the wrong place,” said Garreth Wood. “This milestone shows what can be achieved through collaboration, local leadership and relentless commitment. But we are not stopping here, we are already working on the next phase so that no child is left behind,” he added. In Botswana, where access to paediatric surgery can be limited and uneven, the addition of a dedicated operating room is expected to reduce wait times, improve outcomes and relieve some of the pressure on the broader health system. David Cunningham, the chief executive of Kids Operating Room, explained that opening each facility requires months of groundwork.
“Since we began this work, every 27 days our team has opened a new operating theatre,” he said. “These are worldclass, solar-powered surgical facilities but before they’re built, we must assess the hospital, understand patient needs, raise funding, and prepare the staff,” he added. Despite working in countries facing conflict, shortages, and limited infrastructure, Cunningham said the charity has remained focused on its mission. “I could not be more grateful to everyone who has contributed to this work. We’ve reached 100 rooms, but there are many more children still waiting. That’s what drives us,” he added. The newly opened room at Princess Marina Hospital is now expected to begin treating children immediately, with the potential to transform paediatric surgical care in the country for years to come.