CMHS, HU, Gets International Accreditation for Establishing a Skill Lab to offer Trainings in Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS): The First Center in Ethiopia.
College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Hawassa University, has established a skill laboratory that has received international accreditation for training of medical doctors and health professionals on Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) from the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma. The college has been training 16 specialist doctors coming from different public hospitals in Ethiopia in collaboration with the American College of Surgeons and the Federal Ministry of Health in its first round of training and held a graduation ceremony for successful trainees on February 22, 2023.
Speaking on the occasion of the graduation ceremony, the college’s skill lab manager and course coordinator, Ephrem Geja, explained how much effort and time it took them to establish the skill lab with full international standards through the collaboration they had with the American College of Surgeons Operation giving back project. He said that American College of Surgeons has been supporting the establishment of the skill lab by supplying necessary lab inputs, organizing the new supplies alongside the college’s lab resources in place, covering costs for training of course coordinator, director, deputy director and two rounds of Provider Course trainings, a round of Training of Trainers (ToT), as well as bringing in 12 Veteran specialists from the US, Egypt and Lebanon to offer the training. The partner has also covered costs for the field visits and continuous assessments of the skill lab by the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma for fulfilling the international standards to offer such trainings over the last three years. The Ministry of Health has also contributed in sponsoring the trainees involved in the first round.
Mr. Ephrem added that the skill lab is the first to be internationally accredited in Ethiopia and becomes the fourth in Africa after South Africa, Egypt and Kenya. He extended a heartfelt gratitude to all partners involved in the realization of the project and said that Hawassa University will continue to work in collaboration with international partners like the American College of Surgeons to share knowledge and resources for the very benefit of society.
