Ethiopia – Suhul Hospital

Training staff how to resuscitate newborn babies in Tigray

Miriam Nadja Etter is a volunteer neo-natal nurse using our films to train Ethiopian doctors and nurses to care for newborn babies. She is working in Suhul hospital in North West Tigray, on the northern border between Ethiopia and Eritrea.

The hospital serves a population of 1.2 million people including four refugee camps. There is enormous need for care and treatment of pregnant women and their babies – in this area, 44 out of every 1000 babies die at birth, many of them born prematurely.

Miriam is using our neonatal resuscitation film to teach nurses, midwives and health officer students how to save these babies’ lives. Training would usually involve demonstrating resuscitation on a doll – difficult to do well with so many staff crammed into a small room and struggling to see clearly. Miriam uses the neonatal resuscitation film alongside a practical demonstration to illustrate key issues, pausing the film when she wants to explain further or answer questions. She really likes using the film because it explains resuscitation very clearly.

“It illustrates points that are difficult to explain or demonstrate only on the doll. The medical staff also enjoying watching the film – they say they find it much easier to recall procedures and remember what they have been taught – they know they can review the film at a later date when they want to refresh their skills.”

Our film has not only been used in the Suhul hospital but also rural community health centres where it was incorporated into training for health workers and midwives.

“The films are such a great resource for all medical workers and the communities themselves”.