Kavanah Project: beyond health promotion

Dear Editor,

In late 2021, two driven medical students from Faculdade Israelita Albert Einstein (FICSAE) in São Paulo, Brazil, initiated the "Kavanah Project."(¹) This initiative targets the improvement of healthcare access by conducting surgical missions in areas with long wait times for medical procedures, a prevalent issue in Brazil.(²,³) Diverging from conventional approaches, Kavanah, meaning "direction," "intention," or "purpose" in Hebrew, underscores a deliberate method of medical assistance, echoing deeper institutional principles of good deeds (Mitzvá), health (Refuá), education (Chinuch), and social justice (Tsedaká).

The project operates on three core pillars: social outreach, health management enhancement, and educational empowerment. The social aspect focuses on bolstering patient accessibility to superior healthcare; health management endeavors to augment the capacities of local health facilities; and education provides FICSAE medical students with avenues for surgical exposure and the cultivation of empathy, teamwork, and leadership skills. These pillars seamlessly integrate with the core values of the institution, offering a comprehensive approach to medical education and service provision.

Two medical expeditions were conducted in the rural landscapes of Minas Gerais and São Paulo, two southeastern states in Brazil. These missions involved 88 dedicated volunteers, including 27 physicians (comprising 15 general surgeons or gynecologists, 11 anesthesiologists, and one primary care physician), 4 nurses, 5 nursing technicians, 2 scrub nurses, 3 engineers, and 47 medical students. During these missions, 64 patients received treatment, and 70 surgeries were performed. Though modest in scale, these efforts signify the inaugural strides of a pivotal initiative. If replicated nationwide, such endeavors could enable medical students to directly contribute to public health, under the mentorship of seasoned physicians, from the onset of their medical training.

Initially, the Kavanah Project was integrated into FICSAE's Medical School as a mandatory extension program by Resolution 7/2018 of the Brazilian Ministry of Education.(⁴) This allows students from different courses to participate, enhancing their technical skills and socio-emotional development. The project has expanded its impact and professionalism to serve as a model for other medical schools with the support of the hospital's leadership. We are proud of our students. This project exemplifies how medical education can incorporate learning, social responsibility, and the promotion of equitable access to high-quality care.

REFERENCES

• ¹
  Projeto Kavanah. São Paulo: 2025 [citado 2024 Abr 24]. Disponível em: https://www.projetokavanah.com
  » https://www.projetokavanah.com
• ²
  Pazin-Filho A, do Valle Dallora ME, Velasco TR, Cardoso Dos Santos RO, Volpe GJ, Moroço DM, et al. Surgical waiting lists and queue management in a Brazilian tertiary public hospital. BMC Health Serv Res. 2024;24(1):290.
• ³
  Tostes MF, Covre ER, Fernandes CA. Access to surgical assistance: challenges and perspectives. Rev Lat Am Enfermagem. 2016;24:e2677.
• ⁴
  Brasil. Ministério da Educação. Conselho Nacional de Educação. Câmara de Educação Superior. Resolução No 7, 18 de dezembro de 2018. Brasília (DF): Ministério da Educação; 2018 [citado 2024 Abr 24]. Disponível em: http://portal.mec.gov.br/index.php?option=com_docman&view=download&alias=104251-rces007-18&category_slug=dezembro-2018-pdf&Itemid=30192
  » http://portal.mec.gov.br/index.php?option=com_docman&view=download&alias=104251-rces007-18&category_slug=dezembro-2018-pdf&Itemid=30192

Associate Editor:

Kenneth Gollob

Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, São Paulo, SP, Brazil ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4184-3867

Publication Dates

• Publication in this collection
  30 Sept 2024
• Date of issue
  2024

History

• Received
  07 Apr 2024
• Accepted
  06 May 2024