Southern Ethiopia - Gwent Health Link

Even in the early days of the link it was clear that there was a great deficiency in practical skills training of medical laboratory science students. The college of Health Sciences did not have teaching microscopes, laboratory reagents and other essential equipment. Moreover, teachers in the college lacked adequate teaching experience. Teaching was mostly theoretical with very little hands-on training in practical skills.

We have provided teaching microscopes, laboratory reagents as well as laboratory manuals to help train the students. Laboratory scientists from the link work with teachers from the local college of health sciences to organise practical skills training workshops for final year laboratory science students. We have trained over 200 laboratory students in these workshops.

We started Continuing Professional Development workshops for graduate laboratory technicians working in rural health facilities in 2002. We have trained over 120 laboratory scientists in these 3-yearly workshops.

In response to a request from our Ethiopian partners, we have set up the very first histopathology service in Hawassa Referral Hospital in 2008. We also set up the very first frozen section biopsy service in Ethiopia at Hawassa Referral Hospital.

We, along with the college of health sciences, arranged a community-based programme for identifying Salmonella and H. Pylori. This was part of a practical training exercise for laboratory science and sanitarian students. We have also facilitated the establishment of the Ethiopian Medical Laboratory Technicians Association.