Children's surgery charity now has more than a hundred facilities
A surgical charity says it has reached a major milestone in its efforts to transform global access to children's surgery, as it opens two more dedicated operating rooms taking the total to 101.
Kids Operating Room, which is headquartered in Edinburgh, opened its 100th operating room last week, a new high-tech and specialised surgical theatre in Gaborone, Botswana.
Just two days later, the team opened its 101st facility in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, underscoring the rapid pace and sustained impact of the charity's work.
The charity, founded in 2018 by husband-and-wife, Garreth and Nicola Wood MBE, set a bold target to install 100 operating rooms for children in low and middle-income countries by 2030. That goal has now been met five years ahead of schedule.
Its paediatric rooms, often the only specialised spaces for children's surgery in a country, have to date enabled more than 680,000 life-changing operations, across Africa, South and Central America, Bangladesh and Afghanistan.
Dr Kutlo Moalosi, Head of Paediatric Surgery at Princess Marina Hospital in Gaborone, said: 'This new operating room will be truly life-changing for children in Botswana. 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.'
Nicola Wood, Co-Founder, said: 'To have completed 100 dedicated operating rooms is a deeply emotional moment for all of us.
'This is not just a number. It represents lives saved, disabilities prevented and a global movement that believes every child deserves access to safe surgery.'
The 100th operating room was made possible by the philanthropic support of entrepreneur Steve Lansdown and his wife, who have been central to the charity's wider surgical initiative across Botswana.
Each Kids Operating Room is designed to create capacity for around 2,000 lifesaving or life-changing operations every year. The global network now enables approximately 200,000 procedures annually.
Working across more than 40 countries, Kids Operating Room has embedded permanent surgical infrastructure, trained clinical teams, and delivered vital resources to regions where paediatric surgical care was previously unavailable or inconsistent.
As well as providing the infrastructure for safe surgery, the charity ensures its operating rooms are uplifting and child-focused, with colourful murals and specialist paediatric surgical equipment designed to create a calming environment.
The charity's approach is centred on sustainability and local empowerment. Its solar-powered surgical systems help hospitals operate safely during blackouts and its training model builds long-term capacity in each region.
Garreth Wood, Co-founder and Executive Chairman, said: '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.
'This milestone shows what can be achieved through collaboration, local leadership and relentless commitment. But we are not stopping here and have already re-focused on how we build on this success, so no child is left behind.
'We believe surgery is not a luxury, it's a fundamental right. The children we serve deserve dignity, opportunity and care. This is the work we'll continue to do until every nation can provide for its children independently.'
David Cunningham, Chief Executive at Kids Operating Room added: 'Since we began this work, every 27 days our team has opened a new operating theatre, always in complex and/or low-resource settings.
'These are world-class, solar powered surgical facilities but before they're deployed the hospitals have to be surveyed, the staff interviewed, the patient demand assessed, and the funds raised. Then, despite often working around conflict and natural disasters, our amazing people build amazing facilities.
'I could not be more grateful to everyone who has contributed to this success and look forward to continuing to scale that impact in the years to come.'
https://www.KidsOR.org/
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Edinburgh Reporter
7 hours ago
- Edinburgh Reporter
Children's surgery charity now has more than a hundred facilities
A surgical charity says it has reached a major milestone in its efforts to transform global access to children's surgery, as it opens two more dedicated operating rooms taking the total to 101. Kids Operating Room, which is headquartered in Edinburgh, opened its 100th operating room last week, a new high-tech and specialised surgical theatre in Gaborone, Botswana. Just two days later, the team opened its 101st facility in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, underscoring the rapid pace and sustained impact of the charity's work. The charity, founded in 2018 by husband-and-wife, Garreth and Nicola Wood MBE, set a bold target to install 100 operating rooms for children in low and middle-income countries by 2030. That goal has now been met five years ahead of schedule. Its paediatric rooms, often the only specialised spaces for children's surgery in a country, have to date enabled more than 680,000 life-changing operations, across Africa, South and Central America, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. Dr Kutlo Moalosi, Head of Paediatric Surgery at Princess Marina Hospital in Gaborone, said: 'This new operating room will be truly life-changing for children in Botswana. 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.' Nicola Wood, Co-Founder, said: 'To have completed 100 dedicated operating rooms is a deeply emotional moment for all of us. 'This is not just a number. It represents lives saved, disabilities prevented and a global movement that believes every child deserves access to safe surgery.' The 100th operating room was made possible by the philanthropic support of entrepreneur Steve Lansdown and his wife, who have been central to the charity's wider surgical initiative across Botswana. Each Kids Operating Room is designed to create capacity for around 2,000 lifesaving or life-changing operations every year. The global network now enables approximately 200,000 procedures annually. Working across more than 40 countries, Kids Operating Room has embedded permanent surgical infrastructure, trained clinical teams, and delivered vital resources to regions where paediatric surgical care was previously unavailable or inconsistent. As well as providing the infrastructure for safe surgery, the charity ensures its operating rooms are uplifting and child-focused, with colourful murals and specialist paediatric surgical equipment designed to create a calming environment. The charity's approach is centred on sustainability and local empowerment. Its solar-powered surgical systems help hospitals operate safely during blackouts and its training model builds long-term capacity in each region. Garreth Wood, Co-founder and Executive Chairman, said: '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. 'This milestone shows what can be achieved through collaboration, local leadership and relentless commitment. But we are not stopping here and have already re-focused on how we build on this success, so no child is left behind. 'We believe surgery is not a luxury, it's a fundamental right. The children we serve deserve dignity, opportunity and care. This is the work we'll continue to do until every nation can provide for its children independently.' David Cunningham, Chief Executive at Kids Operating Room added: 'Since we began this work, every 27 days our team has opened a new operating theatre, always in complex and/or low-resource settings. 'These are world-class, solar powered surgical facilities but before they're deployed the hospitals have to be surveyed, the staff interviewed, the patient demand assessed, and the funds raised. Then, despite often working around conflict and natural disasters, our amazing people build amazing facilities. 'I could not be more grateful to everyone who has contributed to this success and look forward to continuing to scale that impact in the years to come.' Like this: Like Related
Edinburgh Reporter
18-06-2025
- Edinburgh Reporter
Scottish charity founders help 200,000 children annually with surgery network
A husband and wife have both been awarded honours in the King's Birthday Honours List for their contribution to children's healthcare across the world. Garreth and Nicola Wood have been recognised with MBEs for services to health and charity, particularly surgery for children internationally- a nod to their transformative work through the charity they co-founded, Kids Operating Room. The six-year-old charity is a Scottish-based global health organisation creating permanent paediatric operating rooms in low and middle income countries. With projects in more than 40 countries, the charity has helped build capacity for nearly 200,000 life-saving operations annually. Professor George G Youngson CBE, Trustee of Kids Operating Room, said: 'The impact that our charity has had on the lives and health of hundreds of thousands of children across the world is a testament to the leadership, commitment and energy shown by our co-founders, Garreth and Nicola Wood. 'Kids Operating Room is delighted that Garreth and Nicola have both been recognised in the King's Birthday Honours List 2025, a richly deserved recognition.' As co-founders, Garreth and Nicola have helped guide the charity from an ambitious idea into a globally recognised organisation working to solve a critical and largely hidden global health emergency – the lack of access to safe surgical care for children in low-resource countries. Garreth Wood, MBE, Executive Chairman of Kids Operating Room, said: 'From co-founding Kids Operating Room together, to championing causes close to our hearts here in Scotland and around the world, our journey has always been about giving every child a fairer start in life. 'Nicola and I were deeply honoured to each receive an MBE for 'Services to Health and Charity, particularly Surgery for Children internationally'. 'It's humbling to be recognised in this way, and even more special to share this moment side-by-side with Nicola.' Kids Operating Room invests in building local capacity for paediatric surgery by installing state-of-the-art surgical infrastructure, providing training and equipment to local teams, and pioneering the use of solar-powered operating rooms to combat unreliable power supply in remote regions. Over the past seven years, the charity has installed close to 100 paediatric operating rooms across Africa, Asia and Latin America. Its innovative solar surgery systems have been deployed in over 200 hospitals, allowing uninterrupted life-saving operations even during blackouts. It recently installed solar panels at Meru Teaching and Referral Hospital in Kenya to avoid disastrous power outages that resulted in the hospital only able to use one theatre, causing huge back logs. Nicola Wood, MBE, Co-founder and Trustee, said: 'We're so incredibly grateful to everyone who has been a part of this journey. The dedication, passion and belief of our colleagues around the world, who are working tirelessly to build a fairer world for children, inspires us every day. 'These awards are a tribute to the entire team at Kids Operating Room. We are more motivated than ever to keep going.' Kids Operating Room achievements include preventing more than 11 million years of disability and generating over $20 billion of economic benefit for partner countries. The charity's long-term vision is to become redundant – a world where every nation has the infrastructure and expertise to care for its children without relying on external aid. David Cunningham, CEO of Kids Operating Room said: 'I cannot think of two more worthy recipients of an honour. Each and every day, both Garreth and Nicola transform the lives of children around the world. 'It takes tremendous generosity to work so tirelessly to make the lives of complete strangers so significantly better. Everyone at Kids Operating Room is extremely proud to be part of their team and of the work they have inspired and continue to lead with such energy and enthusiasm.' Kids Operating Room has ambitious plans to scale further. In 2019, it pledged to install 100 operating rooms by 2030. That goal was met four and a half years early. Now, the charity is doubling down with a new pledge to install another 100 rooms by the end of 2030. Despite ongoing challenges in the global funding landscape, the charity continues to grow. Garreth and Nicola have personally pledged to underwrite core running costs for the next six years, helping ensure that every external donation goes directly to front-line projects. With headquarters in Edinburgh and a Global Operations Centre in Dundee, Kids Operating Room continues to punch well above its weight on the world stage. The charity remains a shining example of Scottish innovation and global solidarity in healthcare. Garreth and Nicola Wood Like this: Like Related
Scotsman
17-06-2025
- Scotsman
Scottish duo help 200,000 children annually with surgery network
Scottish charity leaders recognised in King's Honours for life-saving work Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... A high-profile Scottish husband and wife have been jointly awarded MBEs in the King's Birthday Honours List for their remarkable contribution to children's healthcare across the globe. Garreth and Nicola Wood have been recognised for services to health and charity, particularly surgery for children internationally- a nod to their transformative work through the charity they co-founded, Kids Operating Room. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Founded in 2018, Kids Operating Room is a Scottish-based global health organisation creating permanent paediatric operating rooms in low- and middle-income countries. With projects in more than 40 countries, the charity has helped build capacity for nearly 200,000 life-saving operations annually. Gareth Wood at Kids OR warehouse Professor George G Youngson CBE, Trustee of Kids Operating Room, said: 'The impact that our charity has had on the lives and health of hundreds of thousands of children across the world is a testament to the leadership, commitment and energy shown by our co-founders, Garreth and Nicola Wood. 'Kids Operating Room is delighted that Garreth and Nicola have both been recognised in the King's Birthday Honours List 2025, a richly deserved recognition.' As co-founders, Garreth and Nicola have helped guide the charity from an ambitious idea into a globally recognised organisation working to solve a critical and largely hidden global health emergency – the lack of access to safe surgical care for children in low-resource countries. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Garreth Wood MBE, Executive Chairman of Kids Operating Room, said: 'From co-founding Kids Operating Room together, to championing causes close to our hearts here in Scotland and around the world, our journey has always been about giving every child a fairer start in life. Nicola wood speaking at Kids OR event "Nicola and I were deeply honoured to each receive an MBE for 'Services to Health and Charity, particularly Surgery for Children internationally'. 'It's humbling to be recognised in this way, and even more special to share this moment side-by-side with Nicola." Kids Operating Room invests in building local capacity for paediatric surgery by installing state-of-the-art surgical infrastructure, providing training and equipment to local teams, and pioneering the use of solar-powered operating rooms to combat unreliable power supply in remote regions. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Over the past seven years, the charity has installed close to 100 paediatric operating rooms across Africa, Asia and Latin America. Its innovative solar surgery systems have been deployed in over 200 hospitals, allowing uninterrupted life-saving operations even during blackouts. Gareth and Nicola Wood being awarded MBEs in the King's Birthday Honours List It recently installed solar panels at Meru Teaching and Referral Hospital in Kenya to avoid disastrous power outages that resulted in the hospital only able to use one theatre, causing huge back logs. Nicola Wood MBE, Co-founder and Trustee, said: 'We're so incredibly grateful to everyone who has been a part of this journey. The dedication, passion and belief of our colleagues around the world, who are working tirelessly to build a fairer world for children, inspires us every day. 'These awards are a tribute to the entire team at Kids Operating Room. We are more motivated than ever to keep going.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Kids Operating Room achievements include preventing more than 11 million years of disability and generating over $20 billion of economic benefit for partner countries. The charity's long-term vision is to become redundant – a world where every nation has the infrastructure and expertise to care for its children without relying on external aid. David Cunningham, CEO of Kids Operating Room said: 'I cannot think of two more worthy recipients of an honour. Each and every day, both Garreth and Nicola transform the lives of children around the world. 'It takes tremendous generosity to work so tirelessly to make the lives of complete strangers so significantly better. Everyone at Kids Operating Room is extremely proud to be part of their team and of the work they have inspired and continue to lead with such energy and enthusiasm.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Kids Operating Room has ambitious plans to scale further. In 2019, it pledged to install 100 operating rooms by 2030. That goal was met four and a half years early. Now, the charity is doubling down with a new pledge to install another 100 rooms by the end of 2030. Despite ongoing challenges in the global funding landscape, the charity continues to grow. Garreth and Nicola have personally pledged to underwrite core running costs for the next six years, helping ensure that every external donation goes directly to front-line projects. With headquarters in Edinburgh and a Global Operations Centre in Dundee, Kids Operating Room continues to punch well above its weight on the world stage. The charity remains a shining example of Scottish innovation and global solidarity in healthcare.
