Reported by Gerald C. Koinyeneh 00231880881540 / 00231777769531 [email protected]
Dr. Birch, speaking at the first “Medical Knowledge Fiesta-Continuous Medical Education” over the weekend said to be on par with the rest of the modern world in addressing the changing trends in the healthcare delivery system, professionals in the sector should be constantly trained and enlightened.
Dr. Birch said, “When you graduate from school, it so challenging to find time between work and other domestic schedules to get additional training. So, this is an opportunity for us to come back and refresh our memories; and it helps us to be outstanding.”
“We are all professionals doctors, nurses, pediatricians etc. But your continuous education makes you to be outstanding. Every day, things are changing, and we have to keep with the pace. We must be on par. There are new approaches, equipment and diseases and we need to be on par. It is important that we continue to support the program.”
She hailed the practitioners including doctors, nurses, surgeons and pediatricians for the high turnout and noted that the initiative will be carried out continuously, adding that the capacity-building event has always been the LMDC’s plan, but was never implemented.
In line with the LMDC’s mandate, she called on all professional medical bodies to encourage their members to undergo some continuous medical education and trainings before recommending them to the LMDC to renew or issue license.
Also speaking, LMDC Registrar-General, Moses G. Y. Pewu, noted that the training will be held across the country to allow medical practitioners in the rural areas to benefit.
Dr. Pewu added that the activity is part of the LMDC mandates of issuing licenses and accreditations the health practitioners and institutions respectively; revealing that the LMDC has drafted a set of guidelines to guide health practitioners carrying out their duties. The document, according to him, also spells out the rights of patients.
At the end of the day-long training, the new Chief Medical Officer Hospital of the John F. Kennedy Memorial Hospital, Dr. Sia Wata Camanor, on behalf of the hospital’s Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Jerry Brown, pledged JFK commitments in working with the LMDC to improve the standards and build the capacity of professional health practitioners and thanked the council for selecting the facilities to conduct the training.
Speaking to reporters, Dr. Camanor noted that the hospital, under the new administrator is undergoing significant changes and called on the public to exercise patience as all is being done to make JFK second to none in Liberia.
“JFK is doing everything to get on par. The problems are enormous, but it will take time to address all of them.
And we want to assure you that there are significant changes taking place. If you come and see our outpatient department, our pharmacy and other facilities, you will see that there are a lot going on around here,” she averred.
Meanwhile, the day-long event attracted hundreds of medical practitioners and focused on three thematic areas including professional standards and ethics, current trends in the management of Diabetes Mellitus and malnutrition in children.