People Fixing the World - Surgery in a backpack

In some places, the nearest safe operating room can be hours or even days away. We find out about a portable operating theatre called SurgiBox that fits in a backpack and inflates in minutes, creating a safe surgical environment for operations almost anywhere. We meet the co-founder of the start-up behind it and see it put to the test, and speak to a surgeon who has used it to save lives far from a hospital. We also hear from Field Ready, whose engineers in Syria are using 3D printing to bring broken hospital equipment back to life, and we hear about Sudan’s Emergency Response Rooms — grassroots command centres where volunteers coordinate life-saving help and vital information in the midst of war.

Presenter: Myra Anubi
Producer: Craig Langran
Editor: Jon Bithrey
Sound mix: Gareth Jones

(Image:A 'patient' demonstrates the equipment in the Surgibox, BBC)

Published on Tuesday, 30th September 2025.

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