Ridge Hospital introduces simulation training to improve maternal care

The Greater Accra Regional Hospital, Ridge, has introduced an obstetric emergency simulation training programme for resident doctors and midwives to strengthen their emergency management skills and help reduce maternal mortality.

The programme is being implemented in partnership with the IWK Medical Centre and Dalhousie University in Halifax, Canada.

In an exclusive interview with Channel One TV, Head of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Residency Training and Maternal-Foetal Medicine Specialist, Dr Kwaku Doffour-Dapaah, said the training was designed to equip doctors and midwives with both technical and non-technical skills to improve patient care.

“We are looking at using models and mannequins to train our doctors on how to work together in order to achieve the results we need them to achieve,” he said.

Dr Doffour-Dapaah said the training covered practical procedures, including vaginal deliveries, breech births and the management of complications during vaginal delivery.

It also focused on non-technical skills such as effective communication with patients, leadership during emergencies and the management of cardiac arrest before and after delivery.

“This is where the world is going, and it’s important our resident midwives and doctors learn them to enhance their management with patients,” he added.

Maternal-Foetal Medicine Specialist at Dalhousie University, Dr Heather Scott, and Simulation Specialist and retired theatre nurse Michelle Murray, highlighted the importance of the programme in helping healthcare professionals translate their theoretical knowledge into practice while improving patient safety.

“The simulation centre is ready to enhance the education of doctors and midwives. By practising intervention methods on modelled patients, it is a healthy way to learn. This is to increase patient safety and efficient outcomes,” they said.

Some doctors and midwives who spoke to Channel One TV on the sidelines of the training said the programme had given them the opportunity to practise managing emergencies in a controlled environment.

Resident doctor at the Obstetrics and Gynaecology Department of Ridge Hospital, Dr Erica Ntiamoah Mensah, described the experience as beneficial.

“It’s been a very good opportunity to be part of this simulation training. I have learnt a lot. I have been able to practise a lot of things that we see in real life, especially in a very pressured environment. We have learnt a lot that we can translate into our care for patients and improve their outcomes,” she said.

Sylvia Agyapong Boateng, a midwife at the hospital’s Maternity Intensive Care Unit, said the training had improved participants’ understanding of how to identify complications, intervene promptly and work effectively as a team.

“Through the simulation programme, we learnt how to use life-modelled patients to know more about their conditions, identify complications, prompt interventions and enhance teamwork to improve maternal care. It was very educational and promising,” she said.

Obstetrician and Gynaecologist at Ridge Hospital, Dr Amponsa Dadzie, said the exercises had also helped clarify the responsibilities of different healthcare professionals during emergencies.

“We simulated a patient who is bleeding, and as a team, we have learnt how to manage that. As doctors, midwives and nurses, everyone knows their roles and how to execute them efficiently to save that patient and increase positive maternal outcomes,” he said.

The partnership between Ridge Hospital and the Canadian institutions is expected to continue for the next three years, with funding from International Development, Aid and Collaboration (IDAC).