Trauma training for health workers - ahead of CWC
Guyana Chronicle
December 18, 2006
TWENTY local health workers yesterday ended a three-day trauma training programme to gear them to better respond to emergencies, including during next year’s Cricket World Cup matches here, the Government Information Agency (GINA) reported.
The course, it said, was developed through a partnership agreement between the Regional Health Services unit of the Health Ministry and the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC).
Those certified from the programme are 15 medex workers, four medical doctors, and one nurse, the agency said.
The participants were presented with certificates at the GPHC by Trauma Training Coordinator, Dr. Chris Prashad, Minister within the Ministry of Health, Dr. Bheri Ramsarran, and Director of Regional Health Services, Dr. Madan Rambarran.
The training was administered by a group of facilitators from emergency units at the GPHC, with support from the Regional Health Services, GINA said.
The programme, it said, sought to standardise approaches to emergency responses and essentially improve the chances of a patient’s survival.
Trauma has been a major area of demand in every aspect of health care and delivery, and had in the past been poorly managed, the agency said.
According to GINA, Ramsarran said several casualties that should not have occurred had often been reported because of poor emergency administration.
He is, however, confident the training will enhance the performance of medical workers as they assist in medical airlifts and ambulance services.
The GPHC and the Health Ministry are undertaking training of public health workers at the entry and professional levels for nurses, medex and community health workers and trauma training will be included, Rambarran said.
GINA said Ramsarran noted that the GPHC has again demonstrated its potential to train health personnel and will improve trauma training.
He said further that the training will coincide with Guyana’s preparations for an emergency response programme for Cricket World Cup (CWC) 2007 for which thousands of visitors are expected.
The health workers were certified on a participatory basis and according to Rambarran, they will benefit from additional training to strengthen their capacities.
GINA said he noted that a manual on training is available at the GPHC and the participants also have to their advantage computers which the Pan American Health Organisation had provided to the GPHC to enhance research material for medex workers.