Doctors and other health workers in Makueni County are set to acquire new procedures and technologies from Hadassah University Medical Centre in Israel to enable them learn more on how to treat children during emergency situations.
The revelations were made by Israel Ambassador to Kenya Gideon Behar when he launched a Pediatric Emergency Medicine Skills Workshop at the Makueni County Referral Hospital, aimed at enhancing healthcare services in the country.
The training is being facilitated by experts from Hadassah University Medical Center and the Hebrew University to strengthen the ability of local health workers to respond to emergency and stress.
“Doctors and other medical workers will go to Hadassah University Medical Center in Israel, which is one of the best in the world to acquire new procedures, technology and a due understanding of how to treat children in emergency situations,” said Behar when he opened the two-day Pediatric Emergency Medicine Skills Workshop Thursday.
The Ambassador added, “We are very thankful and we know that this will save lives by closing the gap of very high mortality, which still exists in Kenya. And I am happy we will see the results in the future.”
Behar thanked the county for the warm reception, describing the partnership as the beginning of broader collaborations between Israel and Makueni.
He added that the initiative reflects the growing partnership between Kenya and Israel, emphasizing that the collaboration is about building lasting impact through continuous capacity building among healthcare workers.
On his part, Makueni Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jr challenged local healthcare practitioners to utilize the opportunity and ensure they acquire the skills that will go a long way in improving healthcare services in the county.
The governor observed that it was imperative to remove some of the outdated systems in their health sector and instead embrace modern technologies that will ensure the safety of a mother and child.
Additionally, Mutula said that his administration plans to pursue virtual training programs for more health workers with a view to preparing them for accurate emergency response whenever they attend to patients.
“This partnership places Makueni on the international map in health innovation and capability. The health sector must do away with outdated systems and embrace new emerging technologies that will ensure every mother should safely return home with her baby,” he said.
“Beyond the physical training, the county plans to pursue virtual training programs to reach more practitioners. Also, the training is intended to enhance the county’s capacity and improve preparedness for accurate emergency response,” he said.
Speaking at the same event, the County Executive for Health, Joyce Mutua, revealed that doctors from Israel will be in the region for the next week to oversee adoption of the initiative at the Makueni County Hospital.
By Patrick Nyakundi
