Three-day workshop on maternal emergencies management concludes
By Saad Saud

ISLAMABAD—Effective and timely management of emergencies can avoid majority of deaths and permanent morbidity.
These views were expressed by the participants of workshop on 'Management of Obstetric Emergencies and Trauma (MOET), being organized by Child Advocacy International here at Islamic International Medical Complex (IIMC). The participants said the management especially in the first few hours of the presentations of an emergency is a major determinant of the outcome. Structured trainings at appropriate tiers can help to reduce deaths in mothers that are potentially avoidable.
They said pregnancy related complications are the leading causes of maternal deaths, adding, major causes of mortality include haemorrhage, sepsis, hypertensive diseases, and other obstetrical complications. This workshop is part of the National Programme on Essential Surgical Skills and Emergency Maternal and Child Health being steered by Federal Ministry of Health, in collaboration with World Health Organisation, and Child Advocacy International Pakistan, as implementing partner.
The structured training workshops are a part of this programme and are based around an educational approach accredited by Advanced Life Support Group of UK which is also responsible for quality control of the workshops and certification of successful participants. The Ministry of Health is committed to improve child and mother health care services in the country and aims to provide country's people with quality and effective health care services.
The Government is dedicated to achieve the Millennium Development Goals till 2015 by reducing the maternal mortality rate and infant mortality in the country. To achieve this, the Ministry is trying to improve emergency management skills of health workers by capacity building of health care staff in management of maternal emergencies.
Eleven senior obstetricians from all parts of the country attended the course and completed the training successfully under the supervision of local and foreign faculty. They were awarded a internationally accredited certificate authorized by ALSG UK. The course Director Dr Shamsa Rizwan expressed her satisfaction and thanked the IIMC administration for providing venue and logistic support to hold this course.
This program aims to provide life support skills to all the frontline health workers in the country in the next few years with the assistance of relevant stakeholders.