The first, face-to-face Regional Emergency Medical Team (EMT) training course of the new EMT Regional Training Centre for Africa took place in Entebbe from 29 November to 4 December 2021. Hosted by the Regional Training Center in collaboration with the Ministry of Health in Uganda, the training proved to be an important step towards building self-sufficient national EMTs, that adhere to guiding principles and minimum standards, within the African Region.
By facilitating the transfer of knowledge and skills from international experts and between national teams, the EMT Regional Training Centre for Africa will help to build in-country capacity. In turn, this will strengthen the preparedness and ability of national EMTs to respond to health emergencies across the African Region.
Twenty-three participants from Uganda and Namibia took part in the four-day Team Member Induction Course. Twelve Ugandan and Namibian team members remained for the subsequent two-day Training of Trainers (ToT) course.
Team Member Induction
Welcoming participants to the course, Dr Charles Olaro, from the Ministry of Health said: “It’s my sincere hope that at the end of this training clear action points, a roadmap, can be evolved by each country to translate the knowledge gained from this course into setting up Emergency Medical Teams for each country.”
Recognized as the most important face-to-face training event in the EMT’s learning pathway, the Team Member Induction course is an opportunity for shared learning and the recommended entry point for roster members from all specialisms. It comprises a series of informative and interactive workshops that build on participants’ existing skills and knowledge base. During the course, participants learn that while working to minimum standards of clinical skills is vital, preparedness to deploy involves much more.
“Our aim is to create fully trained and self-sufficient EMTs who can deploy to an emergency without burdening an already stressed local system. That means having the right mix of clinical and operational support specialists, equipped with the skills to effectively treat patients and support national systems in time of need, as we’ve seen in the current COVID-19 pandemic.” said Dr Thierno Balde, COVID-19 Incident Manager for the Region and Team Lead, Operational Partnerships and WHO Readiness in the WHO Regional Office for Africa.
The final day of the Team Member Induction course involved a Simulation Exercise, giving participants the opportunity to practice the key teachings in a safe and controlled environment. Field simulation exercises are widely acknowledged as one of the most effective ways to accelerate learning and retention.
Having successfully completed the Team Member Induction course, many of the participants returned home with the skills they need to take the next step towards EMT deployment.
Training of Trainers
National teams are at the heart of the EMT Initiative. While training team members is important, creating a self-sustaining training model that teams can take ownership off and customize to their needs is vital. The objective of the two-day ToT course, which immediately followed the Team Member Induction, was to train a pool of facilitators to be available within the Region to support delivery of EMT courses within their countries and to also share their experiences at the EMT Training Centre for the African Region.
Building on the group’s prior experiences, the course developed participants’ facilitation skills in a safe environment and increased their familiarity with recognized EMT course packages. Following successful completion of the course, participants now have the confidence, and a platform from which they can facilitate EMT training within both their national team and, more widely, the African Region.
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