Southern Ethiopia - Gwent Health Link

Awassa College of Health Sciences

Emergency Skills Course for the Health Officer Students

Our Link has continued to support the Emergency Skills Course for the Health Officer students, which is highly popular with the students and the college values it enormously. We have been able to include emergency medicine in our skills teaching. programme this year which already includes surgery, fractures, obstetrics, paediatrics, resuscitation and anaesthetics.

Laboratory Skills Training

This year there was no skills training programme for the laboratory staff following the move of Dilla College of Health Sciences to Awassa. Our Link has continued to support development of an Ethiopian Medical Laboratory Technologists Association. Through this organisation we have committed to support the first workshop for continued professional training for the Laboratory Health Officers to be held in Awassa in February 2005.

Following completion of the move of Dilla College of Health Sciences, to Awassa, our Link has continued to support the newly formed Awassa College of Health Sciences. The Link has also agreed to support this new college’s aspiration in developing an institutional link with Cardiff University and we have agreed to sponsor a visit from Awassa College’s Head, Dr Zelalem and Dr Asfawsssen, Dean in the near future to meet with the key people in Cardiff University.

Our Link has continued to make significant progress in many areas. However, it must be stressed that it has been possible through continued hard work, at times single handed, by Dr Aberra Gobezie,MD our Link Co-ordinator in Ethiopia. Recently a link committee has been constituted in Awassa College of Health Sciences. Further development of the link will depend on the commitment of this committee as well of support of the SNNPN Regional Health Department.