Todee District, Montserrado County Health providers in Liberia have urged to complete their Continuing Professional Development (CPD) training program which is the requirement for license renewal for all health professionals beginning 2025.
By J.H. Webster Clayeh (0886729972)[email protected]
The training is organized by the Liberia Medical and Dental Council, the Liberia Environmental Health Board, the Liberian Board for Nurses and Midwifery, the Liberia Pharmacy Board, the Liberia National Physician Assistant Board, and the Board of Accreditation and Licensure of Medical Laboratory Technologist.
Also, health professionals can choose what topics and formats are most interesting and convenient for them.
Health providers earn one Continuing Education Unit (CEU) for every 10 hours of learning. Registered CPD providers offer board-approved training that award CEUs.
There are many forms of pre-approved CPD. They are conferences, online courses, grand rounds, research, policy development, precepting students, and many more. Also, health practitioners have asked to confirm their CEU values, check the relevant board website of CPD guidelines.
Madam Shirley S. Fahnbulleh is a CPD Coordinator at the University of Liberia College of Health Sciences, a nurse and a member of the West African Postgraduate College for Nurses and Midwife.
She told journalists after the CPD training in Todee that the CPD is important because it helps healthcare providers improve their knowledge and their skills. Such training she added will put health practitioners in Liberia on par with their counterparts.
“All the places we have gone, the areas have been packed, the healthcare providers have been very happy and positive. They are making a good venture, and it is in their best interest,” Madam Fuhnbulleh said.
She added: “The reason why CPD is important is because it helps you improve your knowledge and your skills. And if you have improved knowledge and skills, it helps you give quality care to your patient and the outcome is going to be good.”
According to Madam Fahnbulleh, in the next two to three years, healthcare providers practicing at various facilities will all be people that will have their competency always improved and that patient’s outcome will be very good.
“The first thing is that Liberia is on par with other countries in the South Region. Health professionals in other countries do go through the same thing. They do CPD, get their CU before their licenses are renewed. We are behind, now that we are getting involved, is a plus for our country,” she said.
Madam Fahnbulleh added: “We expected to cover the entire Liberia, today we are in Todee and we are going to every part of Liberia. Today we had 40 participants. It is not a means of witch-hunting anyone. It is just a means of ensuring that the right thing is done and that we are on par with the rest of the World and no more business as usual.”
Also speaking, participants for the CPD training praised the organizers of the training and stressed that said initiative will provide them with up-to-date skills.
Charles B. Karmo is the Officer-In-Charge at the Zingbor Community Clinic in Mount Coffee Township. He spoke with FrontPage Africa: “The training is welcoming in our various skills. From what we have learned from the facilitators will add onto our skills as we go on in our professional life.”
According to him, before the CPD training, he as a health practitioner was not in line with standard procedure practice in other countries.
“From what we have gathered is welcoming. It helps to increase our skills. there were some activities we have been doing in our various communities, in our various facilities and then we realized that from what was said here today, we were one or the other doing the wrong thing but for now from what was captured today it is welcoming,” Karmo said.
He added: “My message to every health worker in this country is that we should accept this program. It should serve as an ambassador for the six partners who came and developed this idea to enhance our career for a better Liberia.”
Sabana M. Vampelt is a Community Health Service Supervisor at Zannah Town Clinic in Todee District.
She told FPA: “From the training, I was able to learn so many things that I was not thinking about as a health worker. The training is a guide to put us on track and for us to not forget about our profession. As a health worker, it puts us on a guide. Before we just used to go and renew our lesson. My field, I spent less time in the clinic. So, it is also a challenge for me to do more study and to focus on my profession.”
