By Naren Bhimsan
UKZN Extended Learning in collaboration with the Discipline of Anaesthesiology and Critical Care at the NRMSM, recently hosted Anaesthesiologists from Nigeria for an Abbvie: Anaesthesia Centre of Excellence Programme (ACE). The five-day programme was co-ordinated by principal technologist Naren Bhimsan who manages the SMART Centre together with consultant anaesthetist Dr. Christian Kampik. The week long programme included an intensive interactive training with sessions ranging from practical ultrasound, airway management and high fidelity simulator workshops to expert roundtable discussions, participation in ward rounds and seminars as well as in-theatre observations relevant to individual preferences and interests.
The programme was based primarily at Inkosi Albert Luthuli Hospital where the majority of the activities took place, with visits to King Edward Hospital.
The ACE Programme is aimed at showcasing current applications and approaches in the field of anaesthesiology here in Durban for the benefit of implementation in the local units, ultimately for improving patient outcomes across the continent of Africa.
UKZN Extended Learning is proud to be part of such programmes as they bring about transformation in the African continent at large. To date, close to a 100 delegates from Sub Saharan Africa have been trained at the SMART Centre in conjunction with UKZN Extended Learning. Special thanks to Jonathan Brown of Abbvie, Dr Dean Gopalan, Naren Bhimsan, Christian Kampik and staff at both KEH and IALCH.