Essential emergency surgical, procedures in resource-limited facilities: a WHO workshop in Mongolia

A WHO 'Training of Trainers' workshop on essential emergency surgical procedures was organised in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, Mongolia. The participants included doctors and nurses from the six selected aimags (provinces). Facilitators of the workshop included experts from the Faculty of Health Science University, Mongolian Surgeon's Association and Mongolian Association of Anaesthesiologists association with the Swiss Surgical Team of the International College of Surgeons, Surgical Department of Nurse's College, Trauma Orthopaedic Clinical Hospital, the Department of Quality Assurance of the Directorate of Medical Services, Ministry of Health. Facilitators from the Hospital University of Geneva, Geneva Foundation of Medical Education and Research (RHR) and Evidence and Information for Policy in Geneva, Switzerland participated via video link. The workshop included lectures, discussions, role playing and 'hands on' basic skills training. Videoconference and e-learning sessions using the WHO e-learning tools were conducted at the Global Development Learning Centre. The topics covered during this training workshop included team responsibility and organisation in a health care facility; patient safety; disaster planning; appropriate use of oxygen; management of bleeding, burns and trauma; basic anaesthetic and resuscitation techniques; prevention of HIV transmission; sterilisation of equipment; waste disposal; hygiene; record keeping, monitoring and evaluation of quality of care and checklists prior to surgery to assure that the correct patient gets the correct surgery on the correct side at the correct time. Recommendations were made by the participants on the next steps after this training.