The Clinical Services Department of the Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, Benin City, has successfully organized a 2-day training programme for staff on Covid-19, hypoxaemia and oxygenation. The training held on Wednesday 8th – Thursday 9thof November 2023 at the new lecture hall of the School of Psychiatric Nursing Uselu, Benin City. The course content included: epidemiology and general principles of management of Covid-19, Infection, prevention and control, pharmacovigilance, data management and reporting, diagnosing hypoxaemia, maintenance and safety of oxygen equipment, oxygen sources and delivery etc. Training sessions comprised of power point presentations, group activity and presentations by participants and practical demonstrations.
The clinical staff who participated in the training: Doctors, Nurses, Pharmacists, Laboratory Scientists, and Environmental Health Officer. The facilitators were: Dr. B.E.A Uteh, Dr. C.K. Ebare, Dr. E.A. Usiosefe, Mrs. P.A. Egharevba, and Mrs. A.B. Garrick. In addition to the provision of refreshment by the hospital management, Micro-Nova Pharmaceuticals provided writing materials to support the training.
Speaking on the success of the training programme, the Head of Clinical Services, Dr. J.O Omoaregba, expressed his satisfaction with the turnout and the level of participation of the healthcare workers. He also commended the Medical Director of the hospital for the proactive approach in ensuring that healthcare workers are well-equipped to manage pandemics. Participants stated that they benefitted immensely from the training as it has helped to increase their infection control practices and, the need for regular checking of patients’ oxygen saturation. They therefore promised to practice what they had been taught in their various units and wards. The training program was a huge success, and it is expected that the knowledge gained by the healthcare workers will go a long way in ensuring that the hospital is better prepared to manage pandemics in the future.