The Ethiopian Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ESOG) and USAID Transform- HDR are undertaking clinical mentorship training at Washington Hotel, Addis Ababa beginning Wednesday, December 4, 2109. The training being given under Health in Developing Regions Project will continue through Saturday, December 7, 2019.
The training brought together 11 gynecologists and 15 Emergency Surgical Officers from Afar, Gambella, Somali and Benishangul Gumuz Regional States. The training aimed at equipping trainees on how to mentor Comprehensive Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care (CEmONC) Services in various health facilities across the four regions.
The training is being provided by professionals from various institutions, who have involved in developing the national mentorship guideline.
Health in Developing Regions Project is implemented by Amref Health Africa in partnership with Project Hope, IntraHealth International, and General Electric. Funded by USAID, the project covers 458 health facilities located in 58 weredas of the four regionals states.
The project aims at increasing the utilization of high impact and quality reproductive, maternal, neonatal and child health and family planning services and supporting the Government of Ethiopia’s overall progress in ending preventable child and maternal deaths.
A launching workshop was conducted on a project entitled- Strengthening Capacity and Improving Quality of Reproductive Health (Family Planning (FP) and Compressive Abortion Care (CAC)) and Reducing Stigma on Abortion Care Service Providers. The workshop was conducted in Debre Birhan, Woldia and Assela towns on November 16, 23 and 30 2019, respectively.
The workshop is part of a series of such workshops that have been conducted in the Amhara and Oromia Regional States, regions where the project is focused.
The overall goal of the project is to improve the quality of FP and CAC in the primary health care units to increase service uptake and support the Ministry of Health (MoH) on developing an effective de-stigmatization strategy for safe abortion among health care workers. To achieve this end the projects aims at institutionalizing FP and CAC and newborn health mentorship programs at primary health hospitals and health centers through producing Emergency Surgical Officers (ESOs). Strengthening the quality improvement programs in FB, CAC, maternal and child health at primary hospitals and health centers and reducing stigma and discrimination against abortion care providers are also the objectives of the project.
The project involves 40 health centers and 6 hospitals in two zones, North Shewa and North Wollo of the Amhara Regional State and 60 health centers and 6 hospitals in three zones: Arsi, West Shewa and West Harerge of the Oromia Regional State.
The workshop brought together medical doctors, gynecologists, ESOs and other health workers from health centers, hospitals and health bureaus from zonal to the regional level. During the workshop, participants have discussed various challenges and opportunities for the project.
Accepting the project as a great opportunity to improve health services, participants have cautioned on various matters: the culture of passing mentorship skills down to other members in facilities and lack of awareness regarding gaps at various levels of the health structure, among others, are challenges raised by participants.
Funded by the David and Lucile Packard Foundation and partnering with MoH, regional health bureaus, woreda health offices, hospitals and health centers, the project will run until September 2021.
Sensitization workshop for clinical mentorship program on Comprehensive Emergency, Obstetric and Newborn Care (CEmONC) service was conducted in Assossa, Beninshangul Gumuz Region and Gambella, Gambella Region. The workshops were conducted on October 19 and October 22, 2019. Similar workshops are expected to take place in Jigjiga os Somali Regional and Semera of the Afar Regional State.
The workshop was attended by Dr. Mekdes Daba, principal investigator, and Dr. Yenealem Tadesse, from Project Hope, USAID Transform HDR On the workshop results of clinical mentorship assessment was presented and discussion was made among participants from the regional health bureaus, Assossa General hospital, Bullen and Wenbera primary hospitals CEO, Medical Director, MCH heads and ESO, and zonal health departments.
Indicating the results of the assessment were very reflective of the reality on the ground, participants asked questions and discussed their shortcomings. The shortages of supplies, blood bank, a commitment of sustainability of support, training opportunities, among others were concerns raised by participants.
The program is undertaken in the four developing regions of Ethiopia.
The Ethiopian Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ESOG) is accredited as a legitimate CME Provider. Having met all the national standards set by the Federal Ministry of Health, the accreditation was issued by the Ethiopian Midwives Association. The accreditation will allow ESOG to provide credited CMEs for members.
ESOG is also in the process to be recognized as an accreditor, which will allow it to accredit other institutions as providers.