Ethiopia trains doctors on COVID-19 lifesavers

Last updated on September 11th, 2021 at 02:56 pm

The effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on Africa is exacerbated by poor heath systems and ill-equipped facilities in most parts of the continent. One medical equipment that has assumed star status in the wake of the current pandemic are ventilators.

They are basically breathing machines that facilitates breathing in cases of respiratory failures. They buy time for especially chronic sufferers of the coronavirus as medics work on treatment. The tallies of ventilators per most African nations is worrying low according to experts and officials.

In Ethiopia, Africa’s second most populous country, doctors were recently given training on the use of ventilators in an Addis Ababa hospital. The health professionals who received the private sector-led training are convinced that the device will make the difference between life and death when the time comes.

Doctor Tihitina Legesse told the media: “I’ll be first in line on this. So I need to be trained in the use of this device.’‘ Ethiopia has over 100 million people, but only 54 respirators out of 450 available have been reserved for coronavirus patients. The Ministry of Health would like to acquire 1,500 more.

The government has ordered a thousand devices from China. But global demand is strong. Addis Ababa will have to settle for 250 by April. Rediet Libanos, another medic said: “In Italy, for example, they’re overwhelmed with patients, very sick patients.

They are suffering from shortages of artificial ventilation and they have to decide who has priority. If things continue like this, if people don’t take it seriously, they’ll probably be overwhelmed.” As of Friday April 3, Ethiopia has officially officially confirmed 35 coronavirus cases with two cases deemed serious.

As Ethiopia’s COVID-19 case count slowly increases, officials are assessing how to make do with what they have.

In addition to 450 or so functional ventilators, the health ministry has tallied 197 non-functional ones, and it hopes to bring at least some of those back online, Yakob said.

Yet many ventilators in Ethiopia were donated, meaning health facilities do not have a direct line to manufacturers and struggle to find spare parts to maintain them.

“When you get something by donation, it will not have the right manual, you don’t have the right connection with the company, and skill transfer has not been done very well,” Yakob said.

The ventilator training held this week in Addis Ababa — organised by the American Medical Centre, a private clinic — is an attempt to make sure that whatever machines are available will be used properly, said Dr Nebiyou Asnake, the centre’s medical director.

The centre hopes to train 100 doctors on ventilation by the end of the month, Asnake said. Since reporting its first COVID-19 case on March 13, Ethiopia has closed land borders and schools, freed thousands of prisoners to ease overcrowding, sprayed main streets in the capital with disinfectant, and discouraged large gatherings.

However Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed lamented this week that “social distancing” guidelines “aren’t being adhered to satisfactorily”. “We’re definitely worried, but we’re trying our best,” said Dr Tihitina Negesse, who also took part in the training.

“We’re already seeing that in other countries, in Italy for example, they’re being overwhelmed with patients, severely ill patients.

They’re having shortages of mechanical ventilators and they’re having to decide who to prioritise. If things continue like this, if people don’t take it seriously, then we’ll probably be overwhelmed.”