This project involves building trauma capacity at four district hospital sites in Rwanda using structured didactic sessions. Currently, the majority of trauma care in Rwanda occurs at tertiary referral hospitals. However, these hospitals are often inundated with patients and tend to be far from the places where trauma occurs. As a result, the Rwandan Ministry of Health has expressed a desire to build trauma capacity at district hospitals located throughout the country. This project involves collaboration with Rwandan physicians and the Rwanda Emergency Care Association (RECA) to achieve this goal.
The audience for training sessions includes nursing staff, physicians, ancillary hospital support (such as nursing assistants). The majority of participants will be nursing staff with no prior trauma training. Most physician participants will be generalists with some but not extensive training in trauma care. There will be about 15-20 participants at each of the district hospital sites, with an estimated overall total of 60-80 participants.
The expected impact of this project is improved trauma care at district hospitals in Rwanda. This will lead to better patient outcomes, particularly in the case of road traffic accidents (which are a major cause of morbidity and mortality in Rwanda). This project involves a longitudinal partnership with a commitment to continue refresher trainings in future years.
This trip involved providing training sessions on trauma care at five district hospitals in Rwanda. Participants received lectures from expert presenters and were able to apply their knowledge in hands-on skills sessions. A total of 125 health care workers received training as part of this initiative.
