Advancing ER and Trauma Training Partnerships in Ethiopia

Apologies for the lack of updates. This is typical ER physician behaviour. The work gets done but the paperwork…

We continue to work with our partners to help establish improved ER and trauma care in Ethiopia.

We had a productive visit to Gondar University Hospital in Gondar, Amhara, Ethiopia and Ayder Hospital in Mekelle, Tigray, Ethiopia.

Our plans and partnerships continue to evolve. These include training in basic emergency care, ER department process improvements and trauma team training.

We are heartened by the strength of knowledge and care that we have witnessed. There are a small number of expert ER physicians at both of these university hospitals. 

The quality of care will be further improved by training of nurses, residents and staff who do not have a good grounding in the principles of emergency medicine. Currently the trained staff are under-resourced to do this on their own.

Our partners going forward include colleagues at the University of Toronto, the Health Professionals Network for Tigray, Addis Ababa University, St. Paul’s Millennial Medical College (Addis Ababa), physicians from Boston Children’s Hospital/Brigham and Women’s, Stanford University and individual ER physicians and nurses from across Canada, the US and internationally.

Unfortunately, on the ground work has been hindered by the international, national and regional political climate. Low and middle income countries have been disproportionately affected by the events in the Gulf and resultant high fuel prices with low fuel supply. Everything is affected including the supply of medication, cold storage of vaccines, emergency electrical generator function with disrupted surgical capacity. The Head of the Tigray Regional Health Bureau has sent out an urgent plea for support as the situation is urgent.

Please consider lending your voice to this urgent humanitarian crisis through whatever channels seem right to you…MPs or MLAs, Congressional Representatives, aid and advocacy groups etc. CEECP is not a political advocacy group per se but are concerned for our colleagues, their patients and their communities. Please feel free to contact us for more information.

Despite these challenges we hope to resume programming where we can within 2026!