This was the final trip for Phase II of the Outreach Program in Oman. The purpose of the program was to empower the local trainees as national trainers. The intention is for these trainers (now called NUE Trainers – New Ultrasound Expert) to carry out their own OB/GYN ultrasound education with the support of the Omani government in the form of a national training session.
Project Title: ISUOG Outreach training in ultrasound in obstetrics and gynecology in Oman - Phase II Trip 3
Location: Muscat, Oman (Virtual)
Dates: 23 - 27 May 2021
Project partners: Omani Ministry of Health, GE Healthcare
ISUOG training team:
Dr Titia Cohen-Overbeek (The Netherlands) - Leader
Dr Divyah Singh (India)
NUE Trainers: Dr Saada Al Subhi (Lead), Dr Ahlam Al Kalbani, Dr Dina Al Balushi, Dr Huda Al Yaqoobi and Dr Khadija Al Hafeedh
NUE Potential Trainers: Dr Asama Ojeli, Dr Laila al-Sulimi, Dr Shikha al-Jabri, Dr Amal Hamad al-Rashdi, Dr Aysha al-Wahibi.
Trainees: 29
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 home 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 the level of anomaly identification and aid in preventing preventable causes of maternal mortality locally.
Participants: 29 trainees from across the Sultanate Training location: Royal Hospital, Muscat (virtually)
Training Location: Royal Hospital – Muscat, Oman (and virtually via Zoom)
Training summary:
This was the final trip for Phase II of the Outreach Program in Oman. The overall purpose of the program was to empower the trainees to become trainers (now called NUE Trainers – New Ultrasound Expert). The intention was for the NUE Trainers to undertake OB/GYN ultrasound training to then carry it out themselves with the support of the Omani government in the form of a national training session.
Two of the ISUOG team supervised the NUE Trainers to coach and mentor them in their teaching skills and assessed their performance. Due to the current and ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, travel restrictions have rendered it impossible to conduct the training on the ground in Muscat. As such, the ISUOG Outreach team delivered the training remotely.
Social distancing regulations in Oman permitted Omani trainees and NUE Trainers to gather for educational purposes and took place at the Royal Hospital – Muscat. For the practical, up to five people (including the patient) were able to remain in the scanning room. The virtual program consisted of hands-on scanning taking place in the morning (8:00 to 12:30) with the ISUOG team zooming in to observe and give guidance. Lectures took place in a lecture hall with everyone present provided they were socially distanced, and the ISUOG team joining virtually via Zoom using iPads placed on stands in the room.
This was the first time ISUOG Outreach conducted a program during the pandemic and virtually in this manner.
To assess the trainees, theoretical and practical assessments were employed as was done previously in Phase II only this time administered by the NUE Trainers. The NUE Trainers were assessed by the ISUOG team on their teaching skills and technique in ultrasound. The ISUOG team were able to confirm the NUE Trainers were proficient enough to carry out ultrasound in OBGYN training independently and confidently.
As an 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. All machines used for training were GE Voluson ultrasound machines.
The Omani Ministry of Health (MoH) continued to confirm their support of the training and trainers, with their intention to now incorporate the NUE Trainers as national trainers for the country and implement a biannual ultrasound training program based out of Muscat in Royal Hospital to ensure continuity of training countrywide.
The closing ceremony of the program included ISUOG CEO Johan Vos and representatives of the Ministry of Health. It also officiated four Potential Trainers as NUE Trainers (bringing the total ISUOG NUE Trainers to 9) and identified a further 5 potential trainers for the NUE Trainers to continue to train. In addition, ISUOG officiated its partnership with the newly established Omani Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology (OSUOG) via an MoU partnership between ISUOG and the Omani Ministry of Health to carry out work to support OSUOG and build on policies, programs and further collaborative initiatives to support women’s health and OBGYN medical education in Oman.
Despite this being the end of the Outreach Program in Oman, it does not end the partnership between ISUOG and the Sultanate of Oman as the partnership will shift to continue to support women’s health and OBGYN ultrasound education in the country. For this, ISUOG Outreach is grateful to the work of its team, the Omani Government, Royal Hospital Muscat and GE Voluson for its continuous support.