Ifakara Health Institute, in collaboration with the St. Francis Regional Referral Hospital, the Swiss TPH, and the University Hospital of Basel, hosted an Intermediate Care Medicine Course, which took place from February 26th to March 8th, 2024, at the St. Francis Hospital in Ifakara. 

The two-week training aimed to equip local healthcare professionals with the skills necessary to effectively handle and manage critically ill patients. 

The initiative is part of the ongoing Intermediate Care Unit project, which aims to organize, train, and equip staff at the St. Francis hospital to handle critically ill patients, with the ultimate objective of transitioning to a fully functional Intensive Care Unit through knowledge transfer.

The course facilitators included: Dr. Martin Rohacek, Prof. Maja Weisser from Ifakara Health Institute, Prof. Albert Urlwer, Mr. Fabian Fiether, Miss Sara Funk, Dr. Lugano Wilson, Dr. Victor Urio, Dr. Vivianne Mlawi, Mr. Ally Hawanga, and Dr. Andrew Katende.

The facilitators were drawn from the University of Basel, the Benjamin Mkapa Hospital, the Jakaya Kikwete Cardiac Institute, the Ifakara Health Institute (all from Tanzania), the Swiss TPH, and the University Hospital of Basel (from Switzerland).

Participants benefit from diverse teaching approaches

A total of forty participants benefited from the course, which incorporated a combination of teaching modalities blended together such as theoretical instruction, practical bedside teaching, group workshops, and examinations. This course marks the second training of its kind and coincides with the second phase of the transition from non-invasive ventilation to invasive ventilation, representing a significant step towards developing an Intensive Care Unit at SFRRH.

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