A growing commitment to elevate interventional radiology (IR) in underserved countries such as Mongolia came into focus with the latest installment of the Asia-Pacific Society of Cardiovascular and Interventional Radiology (APSCVIR) Outreach Programme, delivered in collaboration with the Mongolian Society of Interventional Radiology (MSIR). Now in its third and final year, the programme aims to upskill local practitioners for long-term growth of IR across the region.
“The idea is to exchange best practices, learn from one another and kickstart IR development in places where it’s still gaining momentum,” said Shuvro Roy-Choudhury (Narayana Health, Kolkata, India), who was part of this year’s teaching faculty. “It’s not about a one-off visit, it’s about building a foundation,” he shared with Interventional News.
The Outreach Programme, first launched under the leadership of APSCVIR past president Tan Bien Soo (Singapore General Hospital, Singapore), has travelled to countries including Bangladesh, the Philippines, and Myanmar over the past decade. Mongolia’s three-year cycle of training has brought together visiting faculty including Yasuaki Arai (National Cancer Center Hospital, Tokyo, Japan), Yozo Sato (Aichi Cancer Center Hospital, Nagoya, Japan), Je Hwan Won (Ajou University Hospital, Suwon, South Korea), Joseph Kim (Presbyterian Medical Center, Jeonju, South Korea), and Robert Morgan (St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK) to deliver in-person teaching tailored to local needs and facilities. The visitors were welcomed by the local host faculty, including Onhod Batnasa—president of MSIR—and Erdenebulgan Batmunkh (Second State Central Hospital, Ulan Bator, Mongolia).
This year’s programme focused on aortic and venous disease, alongside hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Over the course of several days, participants took part in lectures and hands-on device workshops. “We spent the first day performing video-recorded cases,” said Roy-Choudhury. “My colleagues did cases involving liver tumours and dialysis arteriovenous access, and I presented a prerecorded thoracic endovascular aortic repair case. These were shown during the following days to help anchor the lecture content,” he added.
Gerard Goh (Alfred Health, Melbourne, Australia), representing the APSCVIR board, also joined the teaching faculty and shared that the aim of the initiative is to remove barriers to entry, making IR training accessible in the Asia-Pacific region. “Rather than having trainees travel abroad, the idea is to bring the teachers to them,” he explained. “It’s about access, and it makes a real difference. The established interventional radiologists in Mongolia are great teachers in their own right and the momentum for advancing IR here is strong,” said Goh.
Over 100 attendees from across the country took park in this year’s programme, noted Ricky Cheng (Princess Margaret Hospital, Hong Kong, China)—APSCVIR executive board—recounting that many were young radiologists with a concerted interest in IR. “I think many will go on to become interventional radiologists themselves,” Cheng commented.
Despite enthusiasm around the programme, faculty noted that several challenges facing the growth of IR in Mongolia persist. Speakers shared that, while the capital Ulaanbaatar has numerous well-trained interventional radiologists, many of whom studied in Korea or Japan, access to IR treatments remains severely limited in rural areas. “There’s a need for IR to spread beyond the capital,” said Roy-Choudhury.
Roy-Choudhury also flagged device availability as a barrier for IR in Mongolia and explained that the region particularly lacks devices for aortic disease or venous thrombectomy. He stated that “private sector device companies will need to think about how to support safer, more uniform access to IR procedures”.
The speakers each underlined the clear impact of the programme. “The hospitality from our hosts is always amazing and I felt privileged to be able to share knowledge and skills with fellow interventional radiologists and residents from other countries”, shared Goh.
Looking ahead, Cheng emphasised the drive to sustain momentum among Mongolian interventional radiologists. He stated that “further progress will come from things like research and publication in journals, attending international IR conferences, and access to overseas fellowships for Mongolian trainees”.
