A PIONEERING training programme between NHS Dumfries and Galloway’s Clinical Team and The HALO Trust has been described as ‘extraordinary’.
This week, specialists came together to share their knowledge and experience of delivering high standards of health care locally and across the world.
The collaboration was part of the Scottish Government and NHS Scotland’s Global Citizenship Programme.
Staff gathered in the Education Centre at Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary (DGRI) and covered topics as varied as sexual and public health matters, infectious diseases, psychological first aid and women’s health.
Delegates also welcomed Professor David Warrell who joined the programme via TEAMS to deliver a talk on snake bites.
Dr Freda Newlands said: “These two days of collaboration have been extraordinary.
“I helped organise this excellent programme alongside colleagues Dr Sharon Irvine and Advanced Nurse Practitioner Helen Coles.
“Staff on the ground were able to work alongside an international non-government organisation to provide and share clinical experiences.
“They were able to provide support to Halo personnel staff before they go on deployment to countries across the world.”
The HALO Trust is a non-political charity based in nearby Thornhill. It operates in 28 conflict-affected countries and employs around 10,000 staff – the vast majority of them local people who have been trained by HALO to clear landmines, improvised explosive devices and other dangerous remnants of war from their own communities.
Helen Pedley, HALO’s Director of Human Resources, said: “This training partnership with NHS Dumfries and Galloway is a first for us.
“We have a very experienced and knowledgeable medical board that supervises our medical training, which focuses on the kind of trauma injuries our field officers might be expected to deal with in a minefield or a conflict zone.
“This new training is designed to equip our new trainees with a wider medical knowledge. So we are really pleased to be working in partnership with the specialists locally.”
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