Trip 2: 8-12 April 2018

The Outreach team returns to Muscat to progress the second stage of Phase I

ISUOG Outreach partners with the Omani government to launch the first national ultrasound training in Oman

Project Title: ISUOG Outreach training in ultrasound in obstetrics and gynecology, Phase I - Part II

Location: Muscat, Oman

Dates: 8-12 April 2018

Project partners: Omani Ministry of Health, GE Healthcare

ISUOG Training team: 
Dr. Titia Cohen-Overbeek (The Netherlands) - team leader
Prof. Hisham Mirghani (United Arab Emirates) - ISUOG Ambassador to the Middle East
Dr. Nimrah Abassi (Canada)
Dr. Valeria Angioni (Estonia)
Dr. Divya Singh (India)
Ms. Pauline Schut (The Netherlands)
Dr. Theodora Pepera-Hibbert (UK/Ghana) - ISUOG Outreach Special Representative to Ghana
Gesu Antonio Baez (International Development Coordinator, ISUOG)
Flora Mates (Project Development Assistant, 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 I, trainees will be competent in ultrasound scanning techniques and conduct quality scans in line with basic training outreach templates (SO2).

Output: Training dedicated trainees in basic ultrasound in OB/GYN scanning and hone in on their skills by evaluating their progress and provide mentoring between programs. 

Outcome: Trainees competent OB/GN ultrasound scanning will increase level of anomaly identification and aid in preventing preventable causes of maternal mortality locally.

Participants: 28 trainees from across the Sultanate

Training location: Royal Hospital, Muscat

Training summary:

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 no opening ceremony for Trip II as it wasn’t needed. Prof Hisham Mirghani did not join the team on this occasion but will join on Trip 3. However, Dr Theodora Pepera-Hibbert who is ISUOG’s Special Representative to Ghana Outreach joined the team as an Observer to understand the makeup of the Oman program under the new Outreach strategy (as of 2015). In addition, ISUOG’s Project Development Assistant Flora Mates joined to both carry out the logistics for the evaluation and assist Gesu Antonio on the ground.

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.

To facilitate the number of trainees vs trainers dynamics, an additional trainer (Dr. Divya Singh of India) was recruited to the team and she proved to be an exceptional trainer. The trainees were thus divided into five groups with a mixture based on their years of experience in ultrasound scanning (10+ years, 9-6 years, 5-2 years, and 1 year and under) and assigned a trainer to serve as their group’s mentor. Following the last program, trainees were encouraged to engage with their trainers by sending images to receive feedback. However, most trainers expressed concerned that the momentum was on and off in which the trainees shared images. This concern was expressed to the trainees by the Ministry of Health and encouraged them to engage more frequently.

With this second week of training, the trainers observed variations in learning and improvement across the 28 trainees. 

 On the last day, each trainee was sat down in front of the trainers and Ministry of Health representatives to discuss their current classification (A, B, C or D) and the suggestions for improvement in order to prepare prior to Trip 3.

Certificates of achievement were awarded to each participant at program's end and the program proved to be both smooth and effective, highlighting the effectiveness and leadership of the Ministry of Health and Omani Government in ensuring program success. ISUOG would like to thus thank its partners - Royal Hospital, the Omani Ministry of Health, GE Healthcare and especially local liasion Dr. Mouza Al Salmani once again for the amazing work that was done in helping organise the program. 

Finally, ISUOG would like to thank its incredible team for a successful Phase I Trip II of the Oman project - Dr. Titia Cohen-Overbeek, Dr. Valeria Angioni, Dr. Nimrah Abassi, Dr Divya Singh, Dr. Theodora Pepera-Hibbert and Ms. Pauline Schut.