The ISUOG team returns to Muscat to inaugurate Phase II of the Outreach program. Much like Phase I, the program will consist of three trips to the country but the main goal will be to empower the new trainers (dubbed NUE Trainers – New Ultrasound Educators) to hone in on their teaching skills to then take their training forward in providing training nationwide, as envisioned by the Oman Government in working with ISUOG.
Trip 4: 25-29 August 2019
Project Title: ISUOG Outreach training in ultrasound in obstetrics and gynecology in Oman - Phase II Trip 1
Location: Muscat, Oman
Dates: 25-29 August 2019
Project partners: Omani Ministry of Health, GE Healthcare
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NUE Dr. Ahlam Al-Kalbani lecturing a group of trainees
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NUE Dr. Saada demonstrating to trainees on a simulator
ISUOG Training team:
Dr Titia Cohen-Overbeek (The Netherlands) - team leader
Prof. Hisham Mirghani (United Arab Emirates) - ISUOG Ambassador to the Middle East
Dr Solmaz Piri (Iran)
Gesu Antonio Baez (ISUOG)
Project purpose: To provide ultrasound training to local OB/GYN practitioners in Oman with the intention that these trainees eventually become local trainers.
Project deliverables:
Goal: By the end of Phase II, local trainers will be able to comfortably train in OB/GYN ultrasound trainees to be competent in scanning techniques and conduct quality scans in line with basic training outreach templates (SO2).
Output: Empowering dedicated local trainers in training basic ultrasound in OB/GYN scanning and hone in on their skills by evaluating their progress and provide mentoring between programs.
Outcome: Trainers will be competent in delivering OB/GN ultrasound training to help increase level of anomaly identification and aid in preventing preventable causes of maternal mortality locally.
Participants: 27 trainees from across the Sultanate
Training location: Royal Hospital, Muscat
Training summary:
This was the inaugural trip for Phase II of the Outreach Program in Oman. The overall purpose and intention of the program was to empower the trainees identified as trainers (now called NUE Trainers – New Ultrasound Expert) to undertake OB/GYN ultrasound training to then ultimately carry it out on their own with the support of the Omani government in the form of a national training session.
Two ISUOG trainers supervised the training of the NUE trainers and assessed their performance in order to coach and mentor them in their teaching skills. The program consisted of hands on scanning taking place in the morning (8:00 to 12:30) with lectures taking place in the afternoon (13:30 to 15:30). There was a small opening ceremony with Titia introducing the trainees (who came from across Oman) to the NUE Trainers.
Those trainees from Phase I who were identified as potential trainers but not yet qualified as trainers took part as observers and assistants to the NUE Trainers, learning from them and observing how to better fine tune their teaching skills. Those classified as potential sonographers from Phase I took part as trainees once more in order to fine tune their learning before taking up scanning independently.
Prof Hisham Mirghani did not join the team on this occasion as his presence wasn’t needed. Gesu Antonio Baez of Pax Tecum Global took reign to ensure program delivery following the departure of Terri Harris from the ISUOG Secretariat. Dr Solmaz Piri of Iran was invited to come as an ISUOG Trainer for Phase II given her work as a Virtual Mentor with one of the Omani Trainees in order for her to see up close and personal the work of Outreach in Oman. The previous trainers (Dr Valeria Angioni, Dr Nimrah Abassi, Dr Divya Singh and Pauline Schut) were retired of their duties following the end of Phase I in order to allow for new volunteers and a fresh perspective.
To assess the trainees, previous theoretical and practical assessments were employed as was done in Phase II only administered by the NUE Trainers. NUE Trainers were assessed by the ISUOG trainers against their teaching and technique in ultrasound. An ISUOG trainer spent 30 minutes with each NUE trainer and observed how they trained. The overall score for all five NUE Trainers was 25/25 (100%) and they exceeded expectations in leadership and independence.
As official provider to the Ministry of Health, GE Healthcare partnered once more in providing two additional machines to be permanently based at Royal Hospital for the program, in addition to having their local engineer with the team. A local representative who was well versed in knobology couldn’t attend due to commitments, but GE Healthcare promised to have an expert on site for Trip 3. All machines used for training were GE Voluson ultrasound machines.
Facilitated by Gesu Antonio, meeting were held with the representatives of the Ministry of Health to understand the level of thought the government had in ensuring the use of the new capacity built around training the NUE Trainers. The MoH confirmed of their desire to recruit the NUE Trainers as national trainers for the country and implement a biannual ultrasound training program based out of Muscat ion Royal Hospital to ensure continuity of training country wide. The NUE Trainers will also be anticipated to carry out training within their home region, especially in family health centres in order to teach basic ultrasound training to family health practitioners and relieve the load from local hospitals which are already overwhelmed so they can focus on urgent cases.
In addition, the MoH had also implemented using the ISUOG trained NUE Trainers as their national trainers in the newly revised Vision 2040 of the Omani government, which highlights the country’s strategy for achieving the greater sustainable development for the country in the coming years. A copy of the English version will be circulated to ISUOG for notice of this great mention.