Twenty-four Samoan doctors are currently undergoing training in Emergency Life support (ELS) under the guidance of Australian medical specialists.

The training for the doctors is being run at the Taumeasina Island Resort and is part of a collaboration between the Ministry of Health (M.O.H.), the Samoa Medical Association (S.M.A.), and ELS [Emergency Life support] trainers. The funding of the equipment and the Australian trainers comes courtesy of the Australia College of Emergency Medicine.

The official opening of the training was held on Monday morning with Dr. Glen Fatupaito, Deputy Director General of Health (Clinical Health Services), giving the keynote address. The guests included Deputy Director General (Public Health), Tagaloa Dr. Robert Thomsen, and First Secretary of the Australian High Commission, Patrick Chan.

S.M.A. executive member, Gogosinaepeleivaai Dr. Belladonna Potoi, said in an email brief to the Samoa Observer that the 15 trainers are volunteering their time to come to Samoa and teach and also pass on the training and identify local trainers to continue the training. 

"It is also the hope that this will extend to Pre-Hospital training and that every year this will grow and become a part of regular training for all doctors and nurses and be run by our own local doctors," Dr. Potoi said.

"ELS training has been around for 30 years and was initially covering rural GPs and doctors in rural hospitals in Australia and has been in many other countries such as Myanmar, Solomons, Fiji to name a few.

"This capacity training is crucial to maintain excellent patient care and this must be done regularly. The plan is to extend this training to all doctors over the next few years."

The 24 doctors who are now on their second day of the training are from the Emergency Department and TTM hospitals as well as the district hospitals in Upolu and Savai'i. On Thursday and Friday, 30 nurses will undergo the training.

Dr. Potoi said the training is critical and helpful for big events such as the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting [CHOGM] in Apia, which is scheduled for 21 October 2024.

"This is really about lighting a candle and passing this on as information from the specialists to our local doctors and then our own people using the donated training equipment given to continue this training on a regular basis. 

"This will also be very helpful in preparation for such big events like next year in 2024 CHOGM where our doctors and nurses will need emergency life support training and the vision is to also incorporate Pre Hospital training involving stakeholders such as SFESA [Samoa Fire and Emergency Services Authority] and Red Cross."