Jimma university Medical center and operation smile Ethiopia has been longstanding ally in providing comprehensive cleft care for the surrounding community in Jimma. Currently, JUMC Anesthesia department and operation smile has organized World Federation of Societies of Anesthesiologists SAFE pediatrics and obstetrics training for 40 staffs. The main objective of the training is to provide refresher training for both physician and non-physician anesthetists in the essentials of pediatric anesthesia by emphasizing on basic principles of safe care for children, in particular, assessment, vigilance and competence in essential skills so as to ensure quality health service delivery. Moreover, reduce the maternal and neonatal mortality in Jimma University Medical Center.
Dr. Elias Yesfu chief executive Director/vice president has addressed the objective of the training and emphasized participants should take the opportunity to learn and upgrade their skills. He expressed his thankfulness for operation smile for organizing this training and for the long years of partnership. He attested this partnership modality will increase the productivity and will impact the service delivery of JUMC.
This training has been implemented with the financial support of operation smile and costs more than 10,000 USD. Dr. Yemane Ayele head of Anesthesia department revealed that this training will equip both physician and non-physician anesthetists to upgrade their skill and knowledge to provide SAFE and quality service in the Hospital. There are enough Anesthesia providers in the Hospital and now JUMC is providing its best to upgrade their competency so that the service they provide will be based on safe and quality standard.
Mr. Abiy Semunigus , Operation Smile Country Program Manager explained his organization has more than 40 years of expertise on providing safe surgery for cleft patients in different corner of the global. Operation smile has been providing technical support to JUMC by providing visiting professorship, educational rotations, scholarship for plastic surgeons and supporting the regular and mission based cleft surgery at JUMC by availing the necessary human resource and equipment.
This training is also the part of the effort to build the capacity of JUMC staff to provide SAFE and quality service to the patients. JUMC has announced every Thursday is a cleft day and Mr. Abiy encouraged all patients to come to the hospital and use this opportunity .Moreover, Operation smile and Jimma university planned to conduct local mission on the mid of February ,2022 to create opportunity for patients to get surgery and other comprehensive cleft care service . He also mentioned that those patients who had got cleft surgery previously to come to JUMC in order to access the speech therapy service which is being actively provided by the therapists in the Hospital.
Dr. Teshome Assefa the coordinator of this training, has mentioned that the activities started to strength the Hospital and the capacity of health service providers not only improve the status of the Hospital but also motivated health professionals to achieve beyond. He said, continues professional development is a means to achieve and ensure sustainable safe and quality health care service. Other partners like operation smile should make training and local capacity building at the center of their work plan.
Among this training participants Dr. Siraj Demisse and Melikte Yhonnes said , it is a privilege to get receive this training by these senior staffs whom we trust on their high caliber skill and experience on their field of study. They confirmed participants are getting opportunity to wider their wisdom and skill on their profession practice.