A team of medical trainers from the American Heart Association, in the USA, met with local medical officers on the grounds of the Princess Alexandra Hospital on Monday, February 26th, to launch the opening ceremony for a week-long stint of re-certification training for local doctors, nurses, EMS personnel and other medical professionals.
The ceremony was chaired by Ms Shirlene Connor, the hospital’s Human Resources Officer, and prayer was offered by Ms Judy Jeremiah, Care Assistant. Ms. Jeremiah gave God thanks for the availability of the visiting team who would aid in the development of the staff and equip them with the necessary skills to perform their duties effectively.
Director of Medical Services, Dr. Lishaw Ward, gave the welcome and opening remarks, specifically placing emphasis on the need for efficient CPR skills. She stressed the importance of the week’s training by saying:
“Life support training is essential for all medical professionals. These training courses, facilitated by the American Heart Association, aim to impart both cognitive knowledge and psycho-motive skills. This training will help us as professionals to provide standardized care to cardiac arrest victims in accordance with specific guidelines. Knowing the proper steps in providing life support can mean the difference between life and death”
The Leader and Program Coordinator of the visiting team was Mrs. Doreen Gumbs-Vines, whose ancestry is Anguillain. She gave an overview of the program by noting in part: “As someone whose roots originate here, I am thankful to be able to come back and do this program. I thank the team of individuals who were able to come and contribute their time and talents to this cause. We have a team that is caring enough to fill the gap of training. When something goes wrong with our bodies or when disease sets in, we as medical professions must know what to do. And that is what we are here for – to help and solidify your knowledge of how to respond appropriately.”
Mrs. Gumbs-Vines then called on the members of the team to introduce themselves. They consisted of a medical lecturer, a medical director, a surgeon, a scientific advisor, an anesthesiologist, nurse practitioners, a fire-fighter and EMS paramedic professionals. Many of these trainers were on the island in the past, as these recertification programs are regular events that occur every two years. Mr. Gumbs-Vines expressed her thanks for the opportunity to serve in this endeavor, and she said that she hoped her team would satisfy the need of what is considered as on-going medical training.
A vote of thanks was given by EMS Coordinator, Mr. Steve McDowall.
