MTHE Joins MoHS and US Ambassador to Sierra Leone to Commission Simulation Laboratories in Bo and Kenema

10th June, 2021

The Minister of Technical and Higher Education, Prof. Alpha Tejan Wurie, has joined the Minister of Health and Sanitation, Dr. Austin Demby, and the United States Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Republic of Sierra Leone, Mr. David Reimer, to commission  Simulation Laboratories at the School of Midwifery in Bo and Eastern Polytechnic, Kenema Nursing School.

The Simulation Laboratories, which were refurbished and equipped by ICAP at Columbia University with funding from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), focuses on enhancing clinical education of medical students by practicing skills on manikins without involving real patients.

In his statement, Prof. Alpha Tejan Wurie, thanked ICAP and HRSA for equipping and funding the Simulation Laboratories, extending his appreciation to the health workforce for their efforts at reducing maternal and child mortality in the country. He encouraged the midwives to continuously practice with the use of simulation mechanisms in a bid to enhance competence in health service delivery.

The Minister of Health and Sanitation, Dr. Austin Demby, commended the health workforce for having assiduously worked towards reducing maternal and child mortality rate in the country, encouraging them to continue in that drive. He mentioned that one of the main ingredients in addressing maternal and child mortality is by having well-trained and empowered midwives, which is what the commissioning ceremony seeks to manifest. "You're not only helping to professionally deliver a healthy baby, but you are also doing a duty to support our country's human capital," he said.

According to the United States Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Republic of Sierra Leone, Mr. David Reimer, the importance of the events both in Bo and Kenema cannot be overstated. He assured members of the United States' commitment to supporting Sierra Leone in building an improved health sector, urging the midwives to combine theory with practice through simulation exercise to improve their level of competence.

In her presentation on the role of clinical simulation lab in strengthening midwifery education, Dr. Susan Michaels-Strasser of ICAP at Columbia University noted the importance of competency-based training, which is a result-driven approach to teaching and learning, providing midwives with the requisite understanding of how to be a safe practitioner. She mentioned the overall goal of bridging the theory-practice divide, recognizing that efforts should be continuously attached to people's wellbeing.

Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Officer, Mr. George Tidwell, stated his organization's ongoing collaboration with ICAP, and the fruitful gains that has earned them, especially in the development of Sierra Leone's health sector. He thanked the country's health workforce for a tremendous work done. "What you have delivered for your country is truly remarkable and inspirational," he noted.