DILI, 8 october, 2021 (TATOLI) – Eleven trainees composed of Doctors and Midwives have completed a 26-day of comprehensive training on Newborn care by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).
The training focus on Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care (EmONC) held at the National Hospital in Dili, Timor-Leste.
According to the statement released said that the hands-on training, that started on February 17, was suspended indefinitely due to confirmed cases of COVID-19 among 10 participants and enforced public health protocols in Timor-Leste to control the spread of the pandemic in the South East Asian nation.
“I was one of those who tested positive in the middle of the training. We had just finished 18 days and the course had to be suspended following orders from health authorities,” said Filipa de Fatima de Jesus, a midwife from Lacluta Community Health Centre in Viqueque Municipality.
“I would like to recommend that more midwives from the municipalities be allowed to attend such pieces of training to appropriately respond to life-threatening conditions and other complications that may occur during childbirth,” added Filipa.
At the same place, Sidonio Amaral, a medical doctor from Cailaco Community Health Centre in Maliana, Bobonaro Municipality noted that the knowledge he received during the training enhanced his capacity to serve his community better.
“I supported and attended three complicated cases during delivery after the course was stopped due to COVID-19, besides attending to many normal deliveries of these cases I was successfully handled two cases and referred one to Bobonaro Referral Hospital,”
“Because I was not fully trained, about the use of vacuum extraction [a type of assisted delivery used to remove a baby from the birth canal] during delivery, I was not confident enough to handle the third cases whose mother had previously undergone a cesarean operation,” he explained
“After successfully completing this course, I have enough confident about identifying and handling mothers with complications condition during delivery,” said Dr. Sidonio.
It is recalled that since 2018, UNFPA in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and other partners has provided EmONC training to over 118 participants in ten batches with each batch of trainees having between 10 to 13 participants.
The course, facilitated by UNFPA, WHO, UNICEF, Australian Government through Project for Human Development (Ph.D.), and in partnership with the Ministry of Health, Timor-Leste, resumed in September after the government of Timor-Leste eased restrictions on holding public meetings.
The comprehensive training is designed to improve the ability of midwives and doctors to identify mothers at risk and provide good management and their transfer to appropriate health facilities as a way of reducing mortality rates among newborn babies and mothers.
Timor-Leste currently has one of the highest infant mortality rates and maternal mortality ratios in South East Asia.
The island nation has an infant mortality rate of 43.9 deaths per 1,000 live births and a maternal mortality ratio of 142 deaths per 100,000 live births.
Journalist: José Belarmino De Sá
Editor: Nelia Borges Rosario
