From snow to simulation

I'm looking out over the snowy fields, a high of minus ten is forecast for tomorrow, and it is hard to believe that in three days I'll be heading back to Rwanda for the fifth time.  This visit will be very different than the others.  Alex, my 25 year old son, will be coming to work in an orphanage in Kigali and then to climb Mount Kilimanjaro. He is bringing chess sets, soccer balls and tennis rackets for the kids.  Alex is a former national chess champion; it is wonderful to think of him sharing his talents in Rwanda.

In the past, I've been focussed almost entirely on anesthesia resident teaching.  This time I will be working with Rwandan, Canadian, American and British partners to deliver two courses in obstetric anesthesia safety for anesthesia providers from district hospitals in Rwanda.  Most of these practitioners are non-physican anesthesia technicians.  They often work in tough situations with little support.  Our goal is to equip these anesthesia providers with essential knowledge and skills to manage routine caesarean sections as well as maternal emergencies.  We plan to support people after the course with a countrywide mentorship network to help apply new knowledge into practice change.

The Rwanda SAFE Obstetric Anesthesia Course has been developed over the past year.  The original program was created by British anesthetists but we've made many adaptations and refinements for Rwanda.  It has been a massive undertaking!  The course would never be happening without the phenomenal commitment of Faye, an anesthesiologist from Atlanta, and Megan, my colleague in Halifax.  We have also been very fortunate to have highly dedicated partners in Rwanda.

The four-day course will run twice for two different groups of participants.  There are forty small group stations in each course.  I've worked hard to make these stations hands on and highly interactive.  Quite a few of the stations will involve simulation where an emergency situation is recreated with props and a mannequin or person playing the role of the patient.  The course participant must respond to the situation using the materials provided.  We hope this type of learning, where an authentic situation is recreated as well as possible, will allow people to have more comfort in managing a similar situation in clinical practice.  There will be 128 participants in the two courses and about 16 faculty.  We've heard back from many people who are very excited to be attending the program.

The second project I'm involved with is creation of a simulation centre in the teaching hospital in Kigali.  The hospital administration has committed two rooms in a small free standing building for the centre.  I will be working with Rwandan colleagues to renovate the space, provide equipment, train teachers, and help plan programs.  This will be a permanent space for simulation teaching for multiple groups of health care providers, such as nurses, medical students, residents and staff physicians.  Our goal is to have a venue for people to practice everything from simple technical skills, such as suturing, to complex team response to emergencies.

Needless to say, all of this will keep me busy.  I hope to be able to update the blog when possible.  It is very satisfying to be able to share.  I am thrilled to be returning to Rwanda; it truly feels like my second home. I can't wait to be back with all my close friends.