A surgeon travelled to Nepal to carry out life-changing procedures and raise awareness of the need to improve healthcare standards across the world.

Abdul Ahmed, who works at Northwick Park Hospital in Harrow, visited Janakpur in rural south-eastern Nepal earlier this year.

A consultant maxillofacial and head and neck surgeon, he was part of a team that worked at the Craniofacial Centre to provide medical care for the community.

Mr Ahmed said: “I was invited to Nepal by fellow surgeon Sunil Sah, who was responsible for setting up the centre.

“It was incredible to see the work of the Craniofacial Centre in action as it strives to improve the physical and psychological treatment for patients suffering from oral cancer and facial disease in very poor rural communities.

“It was an honour to have the opportunity to improve people’s lives by providing free healthcare and education.”

The visit, which was supported by the charity Future Faces, involved setting up the first mouth cancer screenings for isolated villages in Janakpur.

During his stay, Mr Ahmed carried out operations on a man with a large tumour on his neck and a child with a congenital lesion on his temple.

He also met with government officials to improve awareness, gave lectures and trained surgeons to improve standards of healthcare.

This latter point, he noted, was a key component of the visit as it will give the community better access to quality medical support in the future.

“It was important that we enabled local surgeons employed by the centre to be trained so that they can continue the good work and improve the lives of their local communities,” he said.

Mr Ahmed also paid tribute to the London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust, which runs Northwick Park Hospital and supported his trip to Nepal.