A delegation from Rambam to Kenya travelled with the aim of transferring advanced resuscitation skills to the local medical and nursing staff.
A senior staff delegation from the Ruth Rappaport Children's Hospital at Rambam Health Care Campus recently visited Nakuru, Kenya, where they held an advanced CPR course for local medical and nursing staff. The course, which included lectures, simulations and individual training, was conducted through the mediation and initiative of Professor Ruth Margalit, who is responsible for Global Medicine at the Technion—Israel Institute of Technology.
"In the past, we held similar courses in Romania, which were very successful," said Professor Itai Shavit, director of Rambam's Pediatric Emergency Department, and head of the medical team. "When we accepted the proposal to hold the course in Africa, we did not hesitate for a moment. Knowledge and skills help save lives in places where the need is greatest," said Dr. Hadas Levin Kanani, a senior Rambam Hospital ER physician who took part in the training along with Ravit Idelman a senior nurse in the ER department.
The Israeli group brought medical equipment and sophisticated simulation dolls to train the local teams.
"It's very important to understand what we were up against," said Professor Shavit. "Once we understood the gaps and where the emphasis should be placed, we adapted the protocols to the needs of the teams we trained. It was not a simple challenge."
"Through Israeli eyes, it is hard to imagine how quality medicine can be given to patients in the hospitals in rural Kenya," recalls Professor Shavit. "The infrastructure is old or non-existent, there is a great shortage of basic medical equipment, medicine and manpower, doctors are almost non-existent and most of the work is done by nurses, however, we came to improve the situation."
The Rambam team taught doctors and nurses how to maintain the cleanliness of the CPR equipment, case management, work division and pace of work, basic and advanced resuscitation methods and using equipment that the local teams had never encountered before. “Their response and curiosity was amazing, "said Nurse Idelman." At first, they were hesitant and embarrassed, but from moment to moment we saw how swiftly they learned the methods and the stages and improved. Because the gaps are great, the challenge is great, but it was exciting to see how quickly the changes were made and how easy it is to make a difference.”
"The plan is to continue these training in Africa on a regular basis and to reach any place where we and our experience can help," concluded Idelman.
“The dedicated health care professionals of Rambam Health Care Campus not only exemplify the best of Israeli medical expertise, but the highest humanitarian values of global citizenship. Working in partnership, the Israeli and Kenyan teams share a singular purpose – to assure quality health care for the countless young lives that may be saved because of this training,” said Rick Hirschhaut, National Executive Director of American Friends of Rambam.
For further information contact Laura Kam | mailto:[email protected] | +972-54-806-8613