Specialist doctors are conducting a training course for Fijian nurses on managing seriously ill patients at the Colonial War Memorial Hospital. The training which began on Friday is hoped to improve the nation’s medical emergency response.

Designed to train medical practitioners working in remote areas, the course aimed to structure emergency management and stabilise seriously illness or injured patients through a system called the ‘blueprint’.

23 nurses participated in the training programme, with some travelling from as far as Labasa to be present.

Medical emergency specialist and course coordinator Dr Amit Sewak said the need for such a training programme was recognised following the graduation of six now fully-qualified specialists in emergency care at CWM.

“The blueprint is like mantra for saving a life,” Mr Sewak said.

“We saw a need for our emergency centres at CWM to reach out and standardise practice at hospitals in remote places like Lautoka and Labasa.

“As well as that, we want to get doctors from smaller facilities in the outer islands, who may not get the level of patients we do at CWM, train them and put them back there again to improve care.”

The course was facilitated by the Ministry of Health and Medical Services in Fiji in collaboration with the Department of Health and Human Services of Australia.

However, course co-convener Clinical Professor David Smart said the course would soon be taken over entirely by Fijian instructors.

“There is no point in Australian faculties coming here for two weeks and going away without an impact. So what we are doing is training a Fijian faculty and we are very close to have the nursing and medical course being run entirely by Fijians,” he said.

Meanwhile, educator and nurse at Labasa Hospital Sanjani Mala Prasad said participating in the course helped her understand the structure behind the effective emergency management.

“In Labasa, we do not have enough resources to deal with major accidents. But, with this blueprint we now understand how to best utilise the resources we have to help the patient survive.”

In March, a similar training programme was held for junior doctors at CWM.

Edited by Mohammed Ali           

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