News and Events
Update on Skilled Birth Attendance Training
· Advanced SBA training: As part of the drive to increase the availability of life-saving emergency caesarean section services and address the shortage of surgically skilled doctors in rural areas, a new advanced Skilled Birth Attendance (SBA) training has begun at Bharatpur Hospital training site (Chitwan). For the first time medical officers with only the basic MBBS qualification are eligible for this course, which covers three advanced surgical skills (caesarean section, laparotomy, hysterectomy) in addition to the 27 core SBA skills covered by the basic SBA training. The course is structured in two sections, the first is self-paced learning (independent theory study carried out at the normal place of work) and the second is a 10-week group based training at the training site, including clinical practicum. This design helps minimise the time needed away from post for key staff such as doctors.
· Operational plan: The National Health Training Centre (NHTC) has produced a five-year Operational Plan for SBA training, with technical assistance from SSMP and IntraHealth. This document will form the basis of a strategically planned effort to provide need-based SBA training in line with the national SBA Policy (2006) and SBA in-service training strategy (2007), which aims to produce around 5,000 SBAs by 2012. See the report at www.safemotherhood.org.np/default.php?function=more_content&con_id=191
17/06/2009
Ashima Shrestha
SSMP
