Prehospital study kicks off!

GPAS has kicked off plans for a model prehospital trauma care initiative that utilizes current informal systems already in place in Uganda and hopes to build upon previously established recommendations by the WHO and other studies.



Currently there is no public ambulance system in Kampala, so injured patients are most often brought in by police, other local government employees, or bystanders. These first-responders have no medical training and no system exists to provide them with much needed preparation.



The aims of our prehospital initiative include:
-to create an open dialogue between the relevant government and civilian organizations critical for establishing an effective prehospital system

-to provide pilot, first-responder training courses, and distribute cost-effective, practical first aid kits to participants

-to monitor outcomes through emergency admission logs, discharge records, and field surveys

-to tailor the training courses as needed for expansion

-to encourage allocation of resources by local government and to devise novel incentive tools such as certification placards for taxi drivers



On March 11, we helped coordinate a stakeholders meeting between the Injury Center Uganda, the police, the Taxi Drivers Association, Makerere Medical School, Mulago hospital, and representatives from the City Council Health Department in Kampala.



This was the first time these key players had come together to address this issue.



Recognizing the impossibility of creating a de novo prehospital system without a significant if not primary role being played by the local government, everyone was extremely pleased by the attendance and enthusiastic dialog at the stakeholders meeting.



Establishing this open communication and coordination was the first step of our intiative, for which GPAS has received preliminary funding to pursue.



The next phase of the study will be training courses offered in May 2008 that will train ~150 police officers, 50 taxi operators, and 50 local government officials. The pilot course will be offered in select areas of Kampala in order to facilitate timely outcome measurements and monitoring during the study period.



In the coming months we have a lot of preparation to do, but are encouraged not only by the local support here but also by interest expressed by numerous medical/public health professionals around the world.



If you are interested in contributing time or other resources to this GPAS initiative, then please contact us at partners@globalpas.org