Southern Ethiopia - Gwent Health Link

Venue: Education Centre, Nevill Hall Hospital

Contents

1. Present
2. Minutes of previous meeting
3. Nurse’s visit
4. Ceilidh and Curry Evening
5. Welsh Assembly Government
6. Oxygen Concentrator
7. CME
8. Teaching the teachers course in November 2005
9. Any other business
10. Date of next meeting

Present
Peter Dale(chair), Sally Venn(minutes), Biku Ghosh, Wendy Warren, Peter Smith,

Minutes of previous meeting
Agreed

Nurse’s visit
Biku felt that they had enjoyed their stay, although he has had no direct contact since their return to Ethiopia so is unable to give further feedback.

There were some issues and lessons to be learnt:

They were very quiet and it was hard to get them to interact
It was felt that their expectations may have been different from those who were supporting them on the wards
Wendy will ask those involved to make a list of positive and negative aspects of the visit.

Ceilidh and Curry Evening
Raised over £2000

Welsh Assembly Government
There will be a meeting on October 25th - a workshop / preliminary meeting to bring together Trusts and University in connection with International Links. Peter and Biku will attend.

Oxygen Concentrator
Money from Celidh and Curry and other sources used to buy oxygen concentrators – four purchased and three given free. Also an incubator from RGH has been given. These will be sent out with a £1,500 worth of books. All will be sent through ?DHC If there are no customs problems they hope to be in Awassa in two weeks time.

The oxygen concentrators are being distributed as follows:

• One to Dilla hospital
• Two for a new referral hospital
• Two for Arbaminchi hospital
• Two for Hossanna hospital.

The group going over in November will take some adapters for the plugs.

CME
Biku, Peter Dale and Mr Weerakodi will be travelling to Ethiopia in November. They will be teaching Health Officers who have not been taught on previous CME courses. The course will take place at Arbaminchi hospital and will last for three and a half days:

1. Dr Aberra / Biku will teach surgery and fractures
2. Dr Tedesse / Peter will teach Paediatrics
3. Medical director of Arbaminch hospital / Mr Weerakodi will teach O & G

The CME programme organised by the Dilla link was the first on its kind in Ethiopia. Now there are two other links undertaking similar projects – Sheffield and Leicester. There has been a meeting between the three parties within Ethiopia – Gonda, Mekele and Dilla / Awassa – and a proposal was put forward as to be included in the CME programme. Three specialties were proposed: Surgery, O & G, Fractures

The WHO are happy to share their programme and have organised a workshop in Addis. CME is developing more – WHO expecting to take the lead. There will be a WHO meeting in Geneva looking at essential skills in Developing Countries – how to take forward the agenda.

For the teaching this time – there should be overhead projectors and electricity. Paediatric sessions will include bed side teaching. Invitations to the CME workshop will not be given to those who have attended previously. Funding is available from the British Embassy again this year (the third year).

Teaching the teachers course in November 2005
Before the CME course there will be a teaching the teachers course. In Ethiopia there is a move to increase capacity and there has been a request for a training the trainers course. Dr Neil Warren, Director of WIMAT, will be coming for one week and will be leading the teaching the teachers support. All teachers at the College have been invited to take part in a two day course – Sunday to Monday in Awassa. The idea is to teach about teaching methodology. The final week will be teaching final year Health Officer students in Yirgelem.

Any other business
Wendy is trying to make connections with nursing in Awassa - trying to get an indication of need. If it is felt that the UK end of the Link could meet that need the it would be appropriate to begin recruiting nurses who would be suitable.

Links with the University – this may be taken further at the October 25th meeting.

On September 3rd Biku and Peter attended the 20th anniversary of a link between Hereford Cathedral School and Tanzania. Every year four people and come over and two go from the UK to Tanzania. There appeared to be a strong sense of community with different local community groups being involved.

Biku is due to attend an primary school in Ebbw Vale on October 10th to talk about the Link.

Biku is becoming frustrated at the poor attendance to Link meetings and the general apathy.

CME will not be repeated for the pathology labs for this coming year. Haematology and Biochemistry not done. Microbiology taken care of. ? sort out a time in February. Have given up in relation to the Health Centres this year – they are better resourced than previously.

Date of next meeting
31st October – 5.30pm