MEMT participants at the opening ceremony Inset: Prof Ahmed Nuhu Zakariah
The Ghana Armed Forces Medical Services (GAFMS) and National Ambulance Service (NAS) have kicked off the fourth batch of Military Emergency Medical Technicians (MEMT) training programmes.
The 70 reported participants made up of 43 soldiers, 19 defence civilian staff, and 8 civilians will undergo 12-month intensive classroom training, hospital attachment, and ambulance station before their final assessment and passing out.
Some of the courses of study include training in anatomy and physiology, mass casualty incidence and basic life support, and medico-legal related issues, among others, to acquire skills for efficient and immediate care for sick or injured people in an emergency.
The Director, Nursing Services of GAFMS, Col Rex Adzagba, who addressed the gathering on behalf of the Director General, Ghana Armed Forces Medical Services, said a total of 89 persons were admitted to the MEMT out of which 70 reported to undertake the year-long programme.
Col. Adzagba highlighted the significant contributions of MEMT to emergency service delivery at the hospital, noting that since the inception of the programme there have been huge improvements in healthcare delivery within the GAFMS and the country as a whole.
He established that MEMT manned the Emergency Response Unit of the 37 Military Hospital which was established in the wake of the May 9 Stadium disaster in 2001, as they provided both intra-hospital transport of patients, conducted medical evacuations and medical support duties during state and military functions, adding, “They have become part of staff requirements for our medical facilities across the country and beyond.”
Deputy Director General, GAFMS, Col/Dr. G.A.O Appiah, on his part, said the role of the MEMTs in the delivery of prompt and efficient care both in the hospital and at incident scenes cannot be underestimated.
“Your predecessors have carved a niche for themselves which has made the continuous training of more MEMTs a matter of necessity. Your role as first responders and involvement in casualty evacuation and patient transport plays a very crucial role in reducing fatalities, promoting early recovery, minimising complications, and promoting patients’ comfort,” he said.
Col/Dr. G.A.O. Appiah applauded the National Ambulance Service under the able leadership of its CEO, Prof. Ahmed Nuhu Zakariah, for their continued collaboration with the Ghana Armed Forces in churning out such a high calibre of health professionals.
Prof. Zakariah called on various security agencies in the country to emulate the MEMTs training programme, stressing, “this is because, if you look at the poor infrastructural building we have as a country, one of the best systems that bridge the gap between the health system in the hospitals and the pre-hospitals system is the robust emergency medical service system, which has increased accessibility.”
He charged the selected trainees to attach all seriousness to the course to help build a robust emergency service delivery.
BY Prince Fiifi Yorke