{"id":1976,"date":"2012-11-27T05:33:39","date_gmt":"2012-11-27T10:33:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.covchurch.org\/ekstrand\/?p=1976"},"modified":"2012-12-08T21:24:51","modified_gmt":"2012-12-09T02:24:51","slug":"helping-babies-breathe-in-congo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/blogs.covchurch.org\/ekstrand\/2012\/11\/helping-babies-breathe-in-congo\/","title":{"rendered":"Helping Babies Breathe in Congo"},"content":{"rendered":"

Two days after Dr. Eddy received the training Helping Babies Breathe at Karawa he was able to put his newly acquired skills into practice.\u00a0 A woman gave birth by caesarean and the baby was not breathing.\u00a0 Dr. Eddy knew exactly what to do quickly to help the baby breathe and instead of mourning there was joy as the baby lived.<\/p>\n

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a nurse practicing her technique on a training mannequin<\/p><\/div>\n

There are babies that die in the first 24 hours after birth.\u00a0 The Helping Babies Breathe training teaches medical staff what to do in the critical first minute (the Golden Minute) and beyond to resuscitate babies that are not breathing.\u00a0 In general 90% of babies are born without breathing problems.\u00a0 This training has the potential to save 9 out of 10 of those that need help to breathe on their own.<\/p>\n

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trainees practicing their techniques<\/p><\/div>\n

The training Dr. Eddy received was provided by a team of Paul Carlson Partnership (PCP) Medical Ambassadors.\u00a0 The team of 4 doctors and 1 pastor was led by Dr. Eric Gunnoe, an intensive care pediatrician from Portland, ME.\u00a0 Dr. Gunnoe, assisted by Dr. John Whittington, taught the first group of 6 doctors and nurses over 1-1\/2 days. \u00a0The team brought 3 special training mannequins which simulate the newborn and breathing problems. \u00a0After the first group passed written and practical tests which demonstrated they knew what do to, they in turn taught the next group of 6 doctors and nurses while Eric and John observed.\u00a0 Covenant missionary Marta Klein translated for Dr. Eric.\u00a0 These 12 trained doctors and nurses will next train other nurses, doctors and traditional birth attendants from the various CEUM health zones.\u00a0 The goal is to spread the training into all the health centers and hospitals of the CEUM.<\/p>\n

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Sheryl Noren helping a nurse with a technique<\/p><\/div>\n

Others on the team were Dr. William Dunn from Rochester, MN, Dr. Obo Addy from Grand Rapids, MI and Rev. Herb Frost of Rochester Covenant in Rochester, MN.\u00a0 These three were on the team to observe and learn.\u00a0 The entire team interacted with the Congolese medical staff through rounds at the hospital, informal teaching and discussions about the issues facing medical care in Congo.<\/p>\n

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L to R: Dr Obo, Dr Eric, Dr John, Rev Herb, Dr. Bill and CEUM VP Vungbo<\/p><\/div>\n

The PCP team not only brought encouragement through their presence and the training, they also brought the needed supplies to support this technique.\u00a0 Thanks to the generosity of Christchurch, Portland, ME (Eric\u2019s home church) the CEUM medical service has or will receive enough of the resuscitation kits to provide 5 kids for each of the CEUM\u2019s 5 hospitals and 1 kit for each of the 94 health centers.\u00a0 WOW.\u00a0 Thanks Christchurch for helping to save lives in Congo!<\/p>\n

Those who were trained commented:<\/p>\n