COMPILED BY MENGISTEAB TESHOME
Needless to say that COVID-19 pandemic has changed the landscape of global health security and emergency preparedness. The rapid spread and its wide-ranging consequences have resulted in lives lost, socio-economic disruption (at great cost) and diplomatic tensions. It has also highlighted gaps in countries’ abilities to manage large-scale emergencies.
To this end and support countries, the World Health Organization (WHO) is working with its member states to effectively prepare for, and respond to, COVID-19, including those with weak and fragile health systems. This includes encouraging the development of national COVID-19 plans to effectively manage outbreaks based on establishing operational readiness by rapidly addressing gaps in national International Health Regulations (IHR 2005) capacities.
In line with this context, recently WHO had organized a training session to upgrade the capacity of professionals in the area. Following the training, some trainees shared their reflections on the impact of the training.
In a busy intensive care unit in Eka Kotebe General Hospital, Addis Ababa, Dr. Samuel Getnet, 28, is a newly-recruited young and energetic physician.
“I never thought my professional journey would bring me to the place where I am today—at the center of COVID-19 pandemic management team—treating and caring for the most severely ill patients who critically need my support and care. Despite the challenges and risks, I am grateful for the opportunity to serve my people at this critical time,” he said.
Dr. Samuel is a general practitioner who came on board as part of the surge capacity planning for human resources announced by the Ethiopian Ministry of Health in February 2020. Before starting his duty in the intensive care unit, he received in-person training from the WHO, with practical sessions taking place in the hospital. The topics he covered include case management, use of personal protective equipment (PPE), infection prevention and control (IPC), and the application and use of mechanical ventilation. He also benefited from online WHO resources such as Open WHO.org.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, WHO, through the UHC Partnership, has been supporting the Government and Ministry of Health to increase the number of health workers and improve their skills in order to provide emergency care for COVID-19 patients, prevent new infections and maintain essential health services. This work builds on the existing Ethiopian health workforce extension program, the community health program and other strategic investments already made to strengthen the health system.
The Ethiopian herald December 17/2020
