ADF O&G Workshop 2009

The Deployed Obstetrics and Gynaecology Skills (DSOGS) course was developed to enhance the O&G skills of general and orthopaedic surgeons who were deploying to operations which might entail humanitarian assistance. The last 2 of these 4 courses have been run at the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of O&G in Melbourne.A total of 45 surgeons (of all subspecialties),anaesthetists ,general practitioners,intensivists and others have now completed the course including nineteen doctors on the 4th DSOGS course which was held on 13 June 09. There is no intention to turn such doctors into obstetricians however the skills taught are designed to give such doctors a paradigm for managing problems (a well as whom to call back home when they do run into trouble!) A range of experienced obstetricians ,midwives,paediatric and general anaesthetists teach the course in one intense day of practical skills transfer:how to do a forceps delivery,how to perform a basic obstetric ultrasound,how to remove a retained placenta,how to perform an emergency caesarean section or even caesarean hysterectomy.The most recent course included a segment on the practical management of massive postpartum haemorrhage using balloon tamponade.All the models on which such skills are taught have been designed and produced by Mike Logan (Model-med). The demand for these skills is evident by the number of surgeons who continue to volunteer for these courses.No-one likes to contemplate the prospect of losing a pregnant patient for want of knowledge on how to perform a lifesaving operation.As MAJGEN Rosenfeld observed last Saturday: "We should not underestimate the importance of humanitarian assistance in winning the war of hearts and minds!"
Mike O'Connor AM
MD BS MHL DCH DDU FRCOG FRANZCOG
CAPT RANR
Editor ADF Health
Surgical Professional Liaison Officer,NHS
DNHR_NSW & ACT
Chair, NSW Triumvirate Health Reserves

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• o&g
• RAAMC Association