In the wake of Sri Lanka's tsunami: The Health for the South Capacity‐Building Project

Abstract

In response to the Indian Ocean tsunami of December 2004, the Health for the South Project was developed for Sri Lanka. The capacity-building component of this project involves the provision of trauma and emergency care training to the staff of Teaching Hospital Karapitiya (THK) in Galle, Sri Lanka. A principal objective of this training for THK is an increased capacity to respond to future disasters in the south of Sri Lanka. Key elements of the capacity-building programme include the on-site emergency care training by teams of Australian emergency physicians and emergency nurses, working alongside the staff of the Emergency Treatment Unit in THK. It is expected that the programme will continue for at least 2 years, during which time a new Emergency and Trauma Centre will be constructed.

The dawn of emergency medicine in Vietnam

“…The need for translation required careful attention to programme timing, simple delivery, emphasis on key messages, staggered panel discussions, and an acceptance that some information would be lost. Countries embarking on the development of EM are often yet to appreciate the importance of team, in particular between doctors and nurses, and this was evident in Hue 11,12 . Similarly they might not appreciate the merits of a horizontal approach, as represented by the primary survey (Airway, Breathing, Circulation, etc.…”

Changing my perspective: How the development of emergency medicine in Sri Lanka can inform the Australasian experience

“…1,2 Passionate advocates have also succeeded in developing an EM specialist training programme (EMMD) administered by the Sri Lankan Post Graduate Institute of Medicine, which commenced in 2013. Here, he would be met by a junior medical officer (MO).…”

International emergency medicine: Building on a strong information‐sharing foundation

“…Emergency medicine (EM) is spreading globally, starting as a recognized need in new territories and progressing to an official specialty 1–7 . A growing number of emergency physicians (EPs) trained in mature systems are supporting the international development of EM 8–18 . In the USA and Australia with their mature EM systems, international EM (IEM) is expanding as a defined area of interest, as individuals aspire to assist others 8–10,15,19 .…”

“…In the USA and Australia with their mature EM systems, international EM (IEM) is expanding as a defined area of interest, as individuals aspire to assist others 8–10,15,19 . In Australia over the last 5 years, the number of emergency doctors involved in IEM, and the frequency and duration of their engagements have increased 5–7,16–19 . Expansion of interest and opportunities has led to the building of structured EM programmes in some neighbouring countries, 2,3 and have generated publications 4,5,7,19 …”

“…[1][2][3][4][5][6][7] A growing number of emergency physicians (EPs) trained in mature systems are supporting the international development of EM. [8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18] In the USA and Australia with their mature EM systems, international EM (IEM) is expanding as a defined area of interest, as individuals aspire to assist others. [8][9][10]15,19 In Australia over the last 5 years, the number of emergency doctors involved in IEM, and the frequency and duration of their engagements have increased.…”