Surgical staff in the Republic of Moldova attended a Hostile Environment Surgical Training (HEST) course to strengthen their capacity to treat those injured in emergency settings. The training, developed and delivered by the David Nott Foundation, was hosted by WHO with funding provided by the European Union (EU).
During the course, 30 participants performed surgical techniques on simulator models of whole bodies and organs. Working in this way equips and empowers surgical staff with the practical skills they need to deliver lifesaving care.
The course covers a broad range of surgical disciplines, including general surgery, head and neck surgery, trauma and orthopaedics, plastic surgery, and obstetric surgery. Normally, surgical staff often focus on 1 area of specialization, but in an emergency setting, they may be the only available medic with operating skills and may therefore be required to step in.
The course is delivered by trainers from different surgical specialties, many of whom have undertaken missions in active war zones. “By providing surgeons with a holistic overview of the basics required to save life and limb, well trained doctors are able to save more lives,” explains Ms Eleanor Nott, Chief Executive and Co-Founder of the David Nott Foundation.
The course, developed by renowned war surgeon Professor David Nott, is based on the broad range of trauma injuries he faced during 30 years of volunteering in conflict settings. This type of training is critical for doctors operating in hostile environments, who are forced to make split-second decisions under highly pressurized conditions. The surgical staff’s broadened skills will prove lifesaving for medical evacuees from the war in Ukraine.
Boosting emergency response and preparedness
The Republic of Moldova has been dealing with a prolonged emergency since the start of the war in Ukraine, when hundreds of thousands of refugees fled over the border. Around 100 000 of these refugees remain in the country.
The Moldovan Ministry of Health has been extremely proactive in coordinating the scale-up of health services and ensuring that health staff have the skills to treat the war-wounded who cannot be treated inside Ukraine.
“This training is part of the wider support for the health emergency response and preparedness in the context of the refugee crisis caused by the war in Ukraine,” says Dr Miljana Grbic, WHO Representative in the Republic of Moldova.
“Like many countries in the WHO European Region, the Republic of Moldova has had decades of calm. However, we are now seeing increasing numbers of humanitarian crises caused by conflict, climate change and disease outbreaks. For governments to adequately respond, it is essential that they have adequate training, planning systems and coordination mechanisms at a national level,” Dr Grbic adds.
Building capacity and coordinating health partners in emergencies are part of WHO’s mandate. Together with the Moldovan Ministry of Health, WHO is paying a key role in ensuring that medical teams have the skills and knowledge to deal with complex emergencies.
Repurposed funds aim to support health needs triggered by the war in Ukraine
The training was made possible thanks to repurposed funds that are part of the EU–WHO Vaccination Saves Lives project, which supports the deployment of COVID-19 vaccines and routine vaccination systems in the Eastern Partnership countries of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine.
Source: World Health Organization