Over 40 health-care professionals from government-controlled areas of Donetsk Region, Ukraine, strengthened their knowledge and skills in emergency medicine through the Advanced Trauma Care Training (ATCT) held in Kramatorsk on 23–25 April 2019. The training, organized in cooperation with the Department of Health of Donetsk Regional State Administration, was part of WHO’s initiative on enhancing trauma care, emergency medicine and integrated mental health services in Ukraine, supported financially by the Government of Austria.
As the conflict in eastern Ukraine enters its 6th year, millions of people living on both sides of the contact line lack access to primary and specialized health care. In order to close this gap and to further strengthen the emergency health system in conflict-affected regions, WHO continues supporting specialized and hospital care through capacity-building and delivery of life-saving medicines and medical supplies.
A training to improve emergency medical services in Ukraine
The training reflects WHO’s commitment to build the capacity of the emergency medical services in Ukraine, aiming at improving the quality of health-care services. It serves as a platform for exchange of knowledge and experience for health-care specialists with different backgrounds.
During the training, WHO experts shared best international practice with trauma specialists, surgeons, anaesthesiologists and pre-hospital care professionals from the conflict-affected regions in eastern Ukraine.
“We were happy to see the great level of engagement of the participants. This clearly demonstrates their high motivation and dedication to provide quality and timely trauma care to those in need,” said Dr Omar Saleh, a trauma care consultant for the WHO Health Emergencies Programme in Ukraine.
A multidisciplinary approach to trauma care
One of the main objectives of the ATCT was to train medical teams on emergency trauma care protocols. Dr Vitali Stetsyk, co-facilitator and Country Preparedness Officer for the WHO Health Emergencies Programme in Ukraine, highlighted that contemporary trauma care is based on a multidisciplinary approach, and this was integrated into the training. Promoting a multidisciplinary approach ensures an effective prioritization of the required medical interventions resulting in a reduction of mortality and an improvement of treatment outcomes.
Dr Olena Kovtorenko from Kramatorsk emphasized the benefits of ATCT for pre-hospital care professionals. The pre-hospital teams initially assess, stabilize and transport patients to the nearest institution that is capable of managing them. “We have to be able to provide all types of care including trauma, resuscitation and mental health, which requires constant improvement of knowledge and training. During the ATCT, I gained essential skills for the initial assessment of a trauma patient and gained a clear understanding on the sequence of medical procedures that preserve a patient’s life. I feel privileged to have received hands-on experience to treat injured trauma patients from both WHO and my fellow trainees,” Olena said.
The ATCT is a key component of WHO’s initiative to strengthen emergency medical services and to improve health emergency preparedness and response.