Pilot medical training programs sponsored by MEAK are a success in Nanyuki hospital.

Back in 2011 MEAK Orthopedic team identified the need  to improve the ability of medical practitioners to recognize the signs of deterioration  in acutely ill patients in hospitals.  A new initiative/ course was put together called GRASPIT ( Global Recognition of Acutely Sick patient and Initial Treatment) and taught at several hospitals in Mombasa, Nairobi, and Nanyuki.

The recent report by Dr. Kerri Jones from the South Devon Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust on the success of the latest GRASPIT Course at Nanyuki hospital confirms the importance and effectiveness of the initiative.

“We are just at the end of a really successful week in Nanyuki with the Emergency Department team, paramedics, GRASPIT and Community work teams.  It’s been wonderful seeing the paramedics training Police, boda boda drivers and nonclinical hospital staff in first aid!  No one thought it would happen but it’s been brilliant!  The new ED is open and our ED nurses and doctors have been demonstrating new ways of working and teaching scenarios.  Also we have established a Patient Safety Programme here – this work is really major now in all countries but is as yet relatively unknown in developing world countries despite a big WHO push.  We were also scoping paediatric training needs on the wards for the GRASPIT Paeds and maternity extension courses.  It’s been great and we all feel that we are getting much more effective each time we come out.  We had trainers up from Kenyatta to observe and take part in our work and they will go off and deliver GRASPIT now elsewhere!

I will be back in Nanyuki in November (going on possibly to Kitale) and also in late Jan/Feb – cant wait!”

I am very enthusiastic about this initiative as it complements MEAK’s medical mission work. The missions save lives in the present  and the medical training and education save future lives and effect deep change. It obviously improves the level of care but also offers significant benefits to the practitioners professional lives. It is a very empowering initiative!