CBCM Project Review Meeting Conducted

A review meeting conducted for Catchment Based Clinical Mentorship (CBCM) Project in Adama on September 9, 2019. The review meeting followed the same meeting, which was conducted in Debre Birhan on September 7, 2019.

The meeting aimed at reviewing the mentorship activities that have been conducted in primary hospitals. The mentors were gynecologists at general hospitals. A continuous mentorship in primary hospitals is the new approach the project is taking a lead on to improve quality of services.

On the review meeting in Debre brihan and Adama, reports were presented by gynecologists in Debre brihen general hospital and Ambo Referral Hospital, respectively, who were mentoring three primary hospitals over the period of three months. Dr. Dagim Shimelash presented all the strength and shortcomings the mentoring team witnessed at the three primary hospitals, Shewarobit Primary Hospital, Ataye Primary Hospital and Debresina Primary Hospital and also Dr. Dereje Lemma presented all the strength and shortcomings the mentoring team witnessed at the three primary hospitals, Guder Primary Hospital, Jeldu Primary Hospital and Gedo Primary Hospital.

Both presenters present a very clean compound that brought praises to all Primary Hospitals and competitive theoretical knowledge of health professionals have been documented as encouraging aspect in the primary hospitals. Documentation, inadequate practical skills and shortage of equipment, supplies and poor infrastructure need further work, the mentors noted. The presentations were well accompanied by discussions. Representatives of the Federal Ministry of Health, Amhara Health Bureau, Oromia Health Bureau, Zone Health Office and Dr. Delyeheu Bekele and Dr .Malede Birara from ESOG executive board well all present on the meetings respectively .

The goal of the mentorship program is to improve the quality of RMNCH services through skill and knowledge transfer that will ultimately lead to a decrease in maternal, newborn and child morbidity and mortality.

The project aims to involve 2 zones: 2 referral and 6 primary hospitals in each of the regions: Amhara and Oromia. Supported by the Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH) and in collaboration with the regional health bureaus, the project envisions to benefit a total of 650 health workers, who are the direct beneficiaries, and indirect beneficiaries of more than 250, 000 women of reproductive age groups.

ESOG Conducted 2nd Residency Examination

The Ethiopian Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ESOG) conducted a series of examinations to residency students in 12 institutions on September 4-5, 2019. The examinations were planned by the residency thematic area of the ESOG-CIRHT Collaborative Project and administered by faculty members from the institutions, with technical support from IT professional from the Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH).

The examinations were part of the effort to standardize and harmonize the residency programs provided at the various institutions. The examinations were administered using the online residence matching and placement platforms in 10 institutions while students at two institutions, Wolayita and Assela took paper-based examinations.

ESOG in collaboration the Federal Ministry of Education (FMoE), Universities, HERQA and funded by Center for International Reproductive Health Training (CIRHT) has been engaged in an effort to improve the quality of medical education and residency training for obstetrician-gynecologists in Ethiopia and is working on four interrelated objectives among which one is the standardization of the residency program examination across all the universities and certification of residents.

The Examination and Certification committee of ESOG-CIRHT Collaboration Project engaged in the undertaking of the standardization of the national examination is involved in the capacity building of faculty to acquire a strong exam item preparation, skill and knowledge, creation of a standard and secure exam item bank and administration of certification examinations across all the ob-gyn residency programs in Ethiopia.