Local doctors and nurses are currently undergoing training to enhance their skills in identifying critically-ill patients upon their arrival at a hospital. 

A total of 30 participants comprising doctors and nurses from Upolu and Savai'i are currently doing a three-day course called "basic assessment and support in intensive care", which is run by the Basic Collaboration Group in partnership with the Samoa Ministry of Health. The training started on Monday and will conclude on Wednesday.

It is run by intensive care specialists: Dr. Ross Freebairn, Sandra Bee, Cynthia Bierl and Gerard Moynihan. The course aims to equip medical professionals to better identify and treat sick patients at the hospitals.

According to Dr. Freebairn from Hawkes Bay in New Zealand, the course will help enhance the skillset of doctors and nurses with intensive care.

“Intensive care refers to patients critically unwell and on life support machines. The lectures and topics covered consist of skill stations and interactive tutorials covering many aspects of the care of critically ill patients, with an emphasis on supportive management, particularly mechanical ventilation.

“They will also cover assessment of the seriously ill patient, mechanical ventilation – modes, strategies for optimising ventilators, troubleshooting, diagnosis and management of: airway management and airway obstruction; acute respiratory failure,” he said.

Dr. Freebairn indicated that the other topics covered include severe trauma, severe sepsis and septic shock, interpretation of arterial blood gases, sedation and analgesia.

Speaking on behalf of the participating local doctors, Dr. Dina Tuitama from the Ministry of Health said the training is important as it will enable them to recognise really sick patients. 

“The significance of this course is to enable the participants to pick up and recognise the really sick patients early and provide the right treatments for them.

“We acknowledge the team from Basic Collaboration for providing free training and reading materials for our participants and not forgetting MOH through providing various assistance for our course," she added.