The commitment to develop the capacity to deliver care to the acutely ill and injured in Nepal took a further step when the Nepal Emergency Medicine Seminar was held recently in Dharan.
The two day program held in April was attended by one hundred and twenty health staff. The participants came mainly from emergency departments, including doctors and nurses, and from district general practice. In addition there were delegates from other disciplines, including medicine, surgery and anaesthesia.
It is the second such programme to be held in Nepal, the first was in Kathmandu in April 2013.
Speakers at the seminar came from across Australia and New Zealand. The local perspective was provided by specialists from the host country. Papers and discussions were held on topics such as the ‘challenges of delivering emergency medicine training in resource limited environments’ and ‘Emergency Medical service in District Hospitals: The Nepal Experience.’
Associate Professor Chris Curry, a Fremantle Hospital-based emergency physician and member of the ISTIH Medical Advisory Committee says it is intended that Nepal Emergency Medicine Seminars will be an annual event. The aim is to build a pool of knowledge between emergency medicine clinicians and students at various hospitals across Nepal, share knowledge and address workforce challenges and to do so in collaboration with overseas specialists.
ISTIH will continue to provide support for the development of emergency medicine not only in Nepal but also in Myanmar, which saw the graduation of the first cohort of doctors with a Diploma in Emergency Medicine in February 2014.
