Rapid Assessment and Timely Management by Trained Doctor Saves a Boy from Shock
August 9th, 2018 | story
In May, a one-and-a-half year-old boy from Naung Kar village named Khun Myat Kaung Khant was brought to the children’s ward by his parents. After suffering from diarrhea for 2 days, Khun Myat Kaung Khant was showing symptoms of drowsiness and his extremities were cold and clammy. When he arrived at the hospital he was convulsing, his parents were very worried and begged the doctor to save the life of their child.
Dr. May Hnin Cho, a surgeon with two years experience at the Women and Children’s Hospital, Taunggyi, knew she needed to act very quickly to save the boy. She said: “This is a very urgent situation, and time is so precious.” Thanks to facility-based Integrated Management of Neonatal and Childhood Illness (F-IMNCI) training, she could tell that he was in shock. She also mentioned that the guidelines on the wall in the emergency area helped her recognize the signs and perform the necessary procedures in time.
The F-IMNCI guidelines focus on newborn care and emergency management of common childhood illnesses.
With the support of USAID’s flagship Maternal and Child Survival Program (MCSP), the Ministry of Health and Sports in Myanmar conducted F-IMNCI trainings in Southern Shan for hospital staff, such as doctors and nurses, in the facilities where referred or walk-in patients can receive inpatient care.
Six batches of F-IMNCI trainings took place in Southern Shan State covering 131 participants from 19 township hospitals, one district hospital, one hundred-bedded hospital, and the Women and Children’s Hospital in Taunggyi. The participants were doctors and nurses from these hospitals. The trainings included lectures and hands-on trainings at the Women’s and Children’s Hospital in Taunggyi. The MCSP also supported the production of guideline posters that were displayed on the walls of the hospitals post-training.
Dr. May Hnin Cho attended the first F-IMNCI training, and she also worked as a facilitator during the third batch training.
Khun Myat Kaung Khant recovered from his convulsions within 15 minutes of arrival at the hospital. Thankfully, he received the proper treatment for hypovolemic shock before there was permanent damage. He was then admitted to the child ward and discharged home five days later. His mother, Daw Nang Lo, was very thankful to the hospital, saying that she felt relieved to see the doctors and nurses so confidently and skillfully manage her child’s condition.
A doctor reflects
Dr. May Hnin Cho said that this experience is common in a doctor’s life. She has been in such conditions before and has treated various kinds of shock in patients. After attending the F-IMNCI training, however, she feels more confident, and can perform the procedure without hesitation in a high stress environment. The guidelines on the wall also helped her to act in a timely and appropriate manner.
Dr. May Hnin Cho’s story highlights the benefits of F-IMNCI training for hospital staff. Staff gain critical life-saving skills, new knowledge, and confidence during these trainings. Upon returning to their duty station, the practice of displaying and utilizing guideline posters obtained during training helps ensure retention of their skills during high stress situations.
The continuation and scale up of F-IMNCI training, coupled with the production of training materials, could help medical professionals in Burma be better prepared to save lives, just as Dr. May Hnin Cho was able to save Khun Myat Kaung Khant.
USAID’s flagship Maternal and Child Survival Program supports high-impact health interventions with a focus on 25 high-priority countries with the ultimate goal of ending preventable child and maternal deaths within a generation. JSI leads the work in the areas of child health, immunization, and pediatric HIV. Our staff also contributes technically to the program’s cross cutting functions of measurement, monitoring, evaluation and learning, community health, and health systems strengthening, with a focus on the strengthening of routine health information systems and supply chain management.
