PATHS 2 trains 80 doctors to save women’s lives

By SOLA OGUNDIPE

EIGHTY doctors selected from secondary health care facilities in Lagos, Enugu, Jigawa, Kaduna and Kano  States, have been empowered to utilise state-of-the-art  ultrasound scanners in health facilities for provision of comprehensive emergency obstetrics services.

The 4-day training at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, LASUTH, Ikeja, was geared towards addressing the unacceptably high maternal and infant mortality ratios often incidented by obstetric failures.

The sessions were facilitated by the Partnership for Transforming Health Systems 2, PATHS2, a programme funded by UKaid from the Department for International Development, DFID.

Surgeons at work

In attendance was a team of clinical application specialists led by Dr Susan Wanjau from Philips Healthcare in Nairobi, Kenya, who described the  10 brand new ClearVue 550 ultrasound system – as among the best in its range.

“The versatile ClearVue 550 with Active Array technology offers image quality designed to enhance diagnostic confidence, delivering diagnostic images with quality, speed, and precision. The training became necessary to build the capacity of health workers to use the equipment effectively in their health facilities.training for doctors,” Wanju observed.

PATHS2 Lagos State Team Leader, Mrs Bisi Tugbobo, said goal is reduction of maternal and child mortality through provision of required skills and knowledge for  management of potentially hazardous conditions. Tugbogbo who spoke on behalf of PATHS2 National Programme Manager, Mike Egboh explained that the new ultrasound machines were donated by PATHS2 to augment  provisoin of comprehensive emergency obstetrics services and that the training became necessary to build capacity of health workers to use the equipment effectively.

Trainees were instructed to apply the technology to detect and manage common incidences and causes of maternal mortality and to make better decisions on normal and abnormal obstetric cases.

Fourty eight scanners are earmarked for other General Hospitals nationwide. PATHS2 has  supported focal states to the tune of N3 billion in drugs and medical equipment, towards reduction of maternal and infant mortality and  attainment of targets of the health related MDGs.