The Ministry of Health in collaboration with the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore, New York and the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) have begun training for health care providers on the island in neonatal resuscitation.
The programme, which began on Monday morning at the Princess Margaret Hospital, will strengthen the skills of selected health care providers involved in neonatal care. Those being trained include midwives employed at Stronach Ward, all nurses employed at the Neonatal Unit, junior doctors attached to the Pediatrics and Obstetrics departments, doctors and a group of district midwives.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the program, PAHO Country representative, Shirley Augustine, said PAHO is very interested in the survival of newborn babies on the island. “PAHO is very interested in neonatal survival because if our neonates are dying, then that impacts our infant mortality rate and these statistics will be seen all over the world and will reflect badly on the health status of our country,” she said.
She added, “We live in an age of technology, where the statistics for Dominica do not just remain in Dominica and at the PMH. They are on the web where everybody can see them, and having a high infant mortality rates does not auger well for the health status of the country.”
She said Dominica is also technologically deprived in the area of neonatal care.
She pointed out that PAHO and the Ministry of Health are willing to work hard to ensure that the newborns in Dominica survive.
The training will be facilitated by Dr. Orna Rosen and Dr. Robert Angert, faculty members of the Division of Neonatology of the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore and Albert Einstein’s College of Medicine in the United States.
Dr. Angert of the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore, New York reminded the trainees that the best technology is the human brain and that working together will bring the best result.
Dr. Rosen, who was instrumental in sourcing funds and equipment for the training, said that she was very pleased to participate in the programme. “We are thrilled to participate in this program, to decrease the disparity between country to country, to make everybody rise up within the medical services that we can provide and to actually decrease the suffering of babies and children in the world,” she said.
She noted that the equipment brought for the week will remain in Dominica for further training of other health care providers.
This five day program will focus on basic resuscitation skills for newly born infants.
In 2012, the infant mortality rate in Dominica was 29 to every 1,000 births.
I am dominican,and a nurse at the Montefiore Medical Center,coincidentally I work in the OB/Gyn Dept, I just read the article and this made me so proud of both institution.Well done Montefiore and good luck to PMH,I always knew that I work for the best hospital in New York
I think on top of that, they need training in Pediatric Resuscitation as well. I think basic life support should have come naturally with the training they get to become heath care professionals in the first place. I’m a Pediatric nurse working in the UK. I would like to know if anyone has had experience on the children’s ward in DA, I’m coming to DA latter in the year and would like to contribute something to the children’s ward.
Way to go….And Culture Boy!remind them after the hospital;the prison tooooo….
they need training in hospitality as well. we dont need all these attitudes. most of the hospitable ones are either close to retirement or retired
Yes that’s a good hospital..but I gave birth at that hospital 6 weeks ago and she didn’t make it due to complications…her lungs wasn’t fully develop ..
that’s good for our hospital because when my son born premature 9yrs ago the doctor on hand at the time didnt even try to save him cause he wasn’t “viable”. But he born breathing and although the doctor gave him a few minutes to live he is still alive and well and kicking. Thanks be to another doctor friend but most of all to God Most High. He is healthy and strong. Train them in saving lives, not giving up on lives. Because once there is life there is hope
Another job well done for the island! how I know, I have experience working in an International hospital, in the Pediatric Unit! Our Dominican People! remember this line;
“The best technology is the human brain, and that working together will bring the best result”.
That goes out to the Politically minded People of our Island! God Bless the infants of today, and tomorrow!
Now build that 40 million $ hospital! And I don’t care who builds it! Chinese, Japanese! Vietnamese, English Man! Just build it!
Peace! Love!and Soul!