The Inaugural SAFE Obstetrical Anesthesia Course in Rwanda: We Did It !!!

It is hard to believe it,  but the inaugural SAFE Obstetrical Anesthesia Course in Rwanda is now officially over.  I apologize for not having blogged sooner,  but this week has been a big blur.  Everyday was packed full of teaching, workshops, planning for the next day, and just talking with our fellow Rwandan anesthesia colleagues about how to improve the quality and safety of anesthesia in Rwanda.  After over a year of planning, I can't believe we pulled it off.  It is truly amazing and would have been impossible without everyone's hard work and commitment.

I thought I might give a brief summary of the week.  Monday night the participants arrived at the Dereva Hotel in Rwamagana.  Despite visiting the hotel last year, I was somewhat apprehensive of the hotel's ability to host the course and whether they could pull it off.  Realistically it was our best option.  I was pleasantly surprised...  the hotel was incredibly accommodating and the service by the staff far exceeded my expectations.  Everyone was incredibly kind and eager to help.  It was great!

Tuesday,  the day was devoted to a train-the-trainer course for 12 participants who had been selected as future SAFE Course trainers and the remaining 50 or so participants participated in Building Safe Teams which focused on communication and  teamwork skills.

Teaching Surgical Airway skills

Neonatal resuscitation with neo Natalie

Simulating Maternal Trauma

Wednesday started the official SAFE Course.   We began the day with a pretest (both obstetrical anesthesia knowledge and skills). The day was then divided into a few didactic lectures that would last approximately 30 minutes, and the remainder of the day was built around small group workshops with 6-8 individuals.  Topics included obstetrical anesthesia issues such as: spinal anesthesia (how to improve your blocks), benefits of spinal anesthesia, rapid sequence induction, surgical cricothyroidotomy, hemorrhage, preeclampsia, neonatal resuscitation etc.   The workshops were either a discussion, development of a skill, or working through a scenario with a discussion to follow.

Woon Cho  our official timekeeper!

Thursday and Friday were more of the same with the day starting at 8:00 and concluding around 5:00  At the completion of the course we had the participants repeat the skills and knowledge test.  It was amazing to see all that they had learned.  I had the opportunity to  teach neonatal resuscitation and run the skills test in neonatal resuscitation.  It was great to see how much their knowledge and skills improved with the workshops.

The course concluded Friday evening with a wonderful banquet celebration.  Every participant and trainer received a course certificate.  In addition, delegates were given lifeboxes to bring back to their district hospitals.  At the end of the SAFE Obstetrical Anesthesia Course, we will have successfully distributed lifeboxes to every operating room in 20 of the 45 district hospitals.

The week has just been amazing!  Looking forward to a little R&R this weekend before starting all over again on monday for the second round.

xo

Our youngest participant