On the 21st January UNFPA started training of 13 midwives from South Central Zone at Galkayo Medical Center. The training focuses on Basic Emergency Obstetric Care (Bemoc). The aim of the training is to strengthen the capacity of the midwives in South Central Zone and this is the third type of Bemoc training that has been conducted this year (2011).
The Bemoc training ended with a graduation ceremony on the 2nd of February. The midwives received seven days of extensive practical theory lessons, and the later seven days was reserved to put into practice the lessons they've learned during the week.
The midwives were given the chance to do deliveries, and see the cesarean-section, and other complicated deliveries in the maternity ward. Shifts were allocated to be able to give chance to each and every midwife.
"The training was very good refresher training, and we attended fistula operations with the doctor, and had amble opportunity to interact with the doctor and get help with some problems I came across with", said Cibaado who is an experience midwife, trained by the former Ministry of Health back in 1984. "The doctor has promised to be in touch all the time, and we'll still keep him in touch and consult with him though we are a bit far away", she said. She thanked UNFPA for giving her this opportunity .
UNFPA Somalia Office is planning to capacitate the midwives through training, forums for discussing the challenges they face, and the way forward. Every quarter, UNFPA arranges a follow up meeting with the trained midwives and doctors to report on the achievements and challenges faced by them during the interval. Then the hospitals and midwives are given Reproductive Health kits based according to the need and the population of that particular area.
