Training in new pregnancy termination method to be ongoing
Guyana Chronicle
February 10, 2004
THE training of medical personnel in new termination-of-pregnancy and other health-related techniques will be ongoing.
So says Ms. Esme Joseph of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America - International (PPFA-I).
She expects those who are trained to pass on their knowledge to other trainees, eventually providing for a large body of medical personnel equipped with the new techniques.
Ms. Joseph spoke yesterday, several days after some 17 medical personnel from five of the country's ten administrative regions completed a successful one-week training course in a new and safer method in the termination of pregnancy and dealing with incomplete abortion.
Ms. Joseph, who coordinated the training programme, said the new technique, called Manual Vacuum Aspiration, now gives women a choice in the method of abortion and enables a patient to return home in about 10-15 minutes after an abortion, thereby saving costs and hospital bed space. In addition, Ms. Joseph said last week, the technique can be applied in endometrial biopsy.
Another very important aspect of the training programme was that nurses received training pre- and post-counseling of patients who terminated their pregnancies.
Of the 17 medical personnel who came from Regions 2,3,4,6 and 10, six were doctors and 11 nurses. The theoretical aspect of the training was done at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation.
The course was a joint effort of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America - International (PPFA-I), the Ministry of Health and the Family Planning Association of Guyana (FPAG).
The trainer of the course was Dr. Jose Ortiz, who was supported by Ms. Patricia Woolford of FPAG, Ms. Stephanie Suzanne of PPFA-I, personnel from the Ministry of Health and the Georgetown Hospital.