Interview with Dr. Alain Corré, Surgeon and Member of the Association “Entendre le monde”

The Unlimited Foundation has started a new partnership with the association “Entendre le monde” (Listen to the world). To learn more about the association, its past and future missions, we interviewed Dr. Alain Corré, a surgeon and member of the association for over 10 years.

How was the association “Entendre le monde” created?

The association was created in 2006 by Bertrand Gardini. He was on a mission with Médecins du Monde in Cambodia and realized that no one knew how to perform ear surgery in the country.

He then created the association, and I joined him a few months later. The association started in Cambodia and this lasted for about ten years. Later, we diversified. Bertrand Gardini created a mission in Madagascar and went there several times. It was there that Newrest intervened to facilitate the arrival of our medical equipment.

What is the mission of the association?

There is a pathology that affects children and young adults called cholesteatoma. It is a benign tumor of the ear that destroys everything. Since the ear is located below the brain, there are infectious and cerebral complications of these cholesteatomas that make this pathology very serious. It is absolutely not detected in poor countries and even less treated since no one is trained to operate.

The mission of the association is to detect deafness and infectious ear pathologies that can be dangerous or even fatal. We talk about medical-surgical missions because we perform medical screening and medical care when necessary. We mainly receive children; our goal is also to detect chronic infectious ear problems that may require surgery.

Can you tell us about your missions in Cambodia?

When we started in Cambodia, we were not trained to organize humanitarian aid in countries. We had to use the means at hand, bring equipment, and train people on-site. One of our objectives was to train people to treat this pathology and sustain the offer of care on-site.

In 2006, we identified a young intern whom we followed throughout her training, and who managed to get hired in a multidisciplinary hospital run by an American in Phnom Penh, offering entirely free care. There, she created a team of three surgeons, whom we continued to train. Until a few years ago, they were the only three performing ear surgery in Cambodia. In the American hospital, there are fellows who came and continued the training. Our mission continued after our departure.

What are the next missions of the association “Entendre le monde”?

After the death of Bertrand Gardini, we wanted to go on a mission elsewhere because it was too painful for us to return to the places where we had worked with him. He had asked us to keep the association alive, so we looked for another place to continue our action.

A colleague doctor in Togo informed us of the situation in the country, similar to that in Cambodia before our arrival. In September 2024, we went there to meet the head of the ENT department at the CHU of Lomé. The purpose of this exploratory mission was to assess the feasibility of the project by examining the infrastructure and the available and missing equipment.

Today, the project is launched, and we are leaving with a team of four for a first 9-day mission on March 21. We will meet patients directly, but there will certainly be adaptation variables. We are bringing a lot of surgical and anesthesia equipment to manage unforeseen events. We will perfect the process as we go along.

Beyond the medical aspect, there is also the issue of costs, which can be very complex in some countries. In Cambodia, the association had to pay out of pocket to allow patients to access care. In Togo, only civil servants are entitled to social security coverage, meaning that 80% of people do not benefit from it.

This is another aspect of the problem: how can we reach these patients? In Cambodia, we made a radio announcement. We were then confronted with a crowd of patients. In Lomé, the CHU will select the patients for us. During this first mission, we will see if the selection was done correctly or if we will need to broadcast radio announcements again.

Where is the association “Entendre le monde” based?

The association was created in Toulouse, but our surgeons are all over the world. For this mission in Togo, there is a Belgian anesthetist from Brussels, a Toulouse anesthetist, and two Parisian surgeons. We are without borders; we welcome all goodwill.

A word of conclusion?

When we went on the exploratory mission to Lomé, we didn’t do it on purpose, but we left on the anniversary of Bertrand Gardini’s death. It put us in a strange state. We are doing this mission for him.

We are very enthusiastic about starting something new, where everything has to be done. We are embarking on a new adventure!

All the members of the association wanted Lynda Hassan-Gardini to become the president of “Entendre le monde”. For us, it was important, and it’s great that she accepted.

Interview conducted on March 17