A training on public health in emergencies management has begun for nurses from two teaching hospitals to enhance their capacities and preparedness in handling public health issues in times of crisis and pandemics.

It is also to enhance beneficiaries’ knowledge of public health, pandemics and epidemics and to empower them to provide adequate health care to members of the public.

About 130 nurses from the Tamale Teaching Hospital (TTH) and the Ho Teaching Hospital are benefiting from the two-month-long training, which will end in May.

The training, being facilitated via a virtual platform, is organised by a consortium of Spanish organisations, including Solidaridad Enfermera, Official College of Nurses of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, the Spanish General Council of Nursing and Mujeres por Africa with coordinating partnership from Women in Law and Development in Africa (WiLDAF).

The trainees are expected to impart knowledge gained to other healthcare providers after the training.

Mr David Ahadzi, Deputy Director, Policy Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation at TTH, who spoke during the training in Tamale, said the participants would be equipped with pandemic management skills and adequately prepared to overcome future emergencies in the country.

Mr Ahadzi said, "Pandemics and epidemics have been constant in human life for centuries killing millions of people and causing major economic and political crises. The latest international pandemic of COVID-19 seems that it will also radically change this world."

He added that "It is in this regard that these organisations have come together to train nurses in this subject area to get them more prepared to handle pandemics while focusing on other health issues of clients."

Madam Rhoda Afisah Kotomah, Principal Nursing Officer-in-charge of Trauma and Orthopedics Ward at TTH, expressed gratitude to the organisers, saying the training was timely.

Madam Kotomah said, “I must say we are very happy to receive this training because it has come at a time when we needed such a capacity building workshop to help broaden our knowledge in the management of COVID-19 and other cases of public health importance such as malaria and HIV."

Madam Wor Abatayelebu Jacqueline, a Staff Nurse at Emergency at the TTH, also lauded the initiative saying it would improve their knowledge on how to manage public health in pandemics and other health crises.