Mr. Robert Joseph Mettle-Nunoo, Deputy Minister of Health has called for the development of a quality framework for emergency medicine which would define and measure excellence in emergency department patient care.
This he said should also act as a catalyst for improvement in patient safety in the field of practice in Ghana in particular and Africa in general.
The Deputy Minister made the call when he opened a three-day African conference on Emergency Medicine (EM) in Accra.
EM is a specialty concerned with the stabilization, management, diagnosis, and disposition of individuals with acute illness and injury. It involves the technical and cognitive aspects of virtually all fields of medicine and surgery including the surgical sub-specialists.
The conference, organised by African Federation of Emergency Medicines (AFEM) will focus on specifics and challenges of Africa Emergency Medicine and provide some useful updates on acute care for clinicians, emergency nurses and pre-hospital workers.
The conference, which brings together EM experts, leaders and advocates from the world of Emergency Medicine in Africa, will have plenary sessions, poster exhibitions and workshops on vascular access, ultrasound use in EM , scientific writing, nursing and global emergency skills.
Mr Mettle-Nunoo noted good and serious work is ongoing in the area of emergency medicine in Africa in general and Ghana in particular, adding that it is an area that continue to evolve, develop, progress and to push boundaries, constantly exploring how to do things better, more effectively and more efficiently.
“I know for sure that progress like that does not happen overnight or without a lot of hard work, research, analysis and discussion.”
In Ghana, current emergency care is sub-optimal with significant delays to definitive care and high morbidity and mortality. The Ghanaian government has invested in physical infrastructure for emergency care at major teaching hospitals, but the human resources to provide care are inadequate.
Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, is partnering the University of Michigan, Ghana Ministry of Health, Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons, and Ghana Ambulance Service to facilitate the process.
The Ghana EM collaboration has proposed an innovative training programme focused on medical students, nurses, and residents with the formation of a new faculty for sustainable training.
The programme has trained 600 trainees whilst 200 are under training.
Ghana has also provided 161 state of the art ambulances to support the Ghana Ambulance Service to provide effective and sustainable service.
The Deputy Minister of Health assured the conference of Ghana’s support to AFEM in the quest to fulfill the mission of promoting understanding and cooperation among health care workers providing emergency care in Africa and internationally, including the development of pre-hospital and in hospital emergency medical systems and the skills necessary.
Dr George Oduro, Head of the Emergency Department of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, Kumasi, who is also the Chairman of the Local Organising Committee for the Conference, spoke on the topic: “The Past, Present and Future of Emergency Medicine in Africa.
He said many African countries are addressing EM with the exception of Nigeria and Uganda which will join the process in 2013.
He explained that Africa on the world map suffered so much when it comes to communicable diseases with high casualties and noted that economic barriers, lack of funding, government support and infrastructure are some of the challenges facing Africa in addressing EM.
He called for the need to address data gaps that exist in the system, modify guidelines to suit local resources and disease burden, expand skills sets for EM specialists and train more EM specialist to serve as leaders and educators.
Professor Lee A Wallis President of AFEM commended Ghana for the strides made in improving on EM care and equipping the Ghana Ambulance Service.
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