Background

GECS was founded in 2008 as an Irish voluntary, non-profit organisation with a core objective of providing emergency care training to doctors and nurses in countries with developing healthcare systems.

Sepsis and trauma are two of the fastest growing causes of morbidity and mortality in populations with developing healthcare systems. Recognising the deficit in Emergency Care training in Africa, IAEM member Dr Jean O'Sullivan, Consultant in Emergency Medicine at the Adelaide & Meath Hospital, Incorporating the National Children's Hospital (AMNCH) in Tallaght established the Global Emergency Care Skills charity.

Training & Course Curriculum

GECS objective of reducing morbidity and mortality is undertaken through the provision of a skills based course in trauma care, resuscitation skills and major incident management every year in a different region. The curriculum has been developed by an expert body of Irish Emergency Medicine doctors and is based on best international evidence. It is tailored to local epidemiological patterns of injury and illness and to available local healthcare resources. The course covers the emergency care of both adult and paediatric patients. The teaching equipment used in each course is donated locally and the final day of the course is dedicated to training the participants to teach these skills to colleagues in their local healthcare setting.

GECS in action

The first Global Emergency Care Skills course was held in Nairobi, Kenya in March 2009. 45 participants from nine different hospitals in Kenya attended the course. The feedback from participants was so positive that the organisation ran a second course in Kenya in August 2009.

We have just completed our most recent training programme in Zambia for doctors and nurses from both urban and rural hospitals in February 2010.

Online learning and international partnerships

GECS has previously run two training programmes for healthcare professionals in Kenya and recently partnered with both the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland and the College of Surgeons of Eastern, Central and Southern Africa to deliver training to doctors at Lusaka University Teaching Hospital in Zambia.

An on-line learning programme has also been established in collaboration with the Royal College of Surgeons of Ireland as a resource for course participants. The e-learning module consists of lecture series and interactive trauma case scenarios so that course participants can keep their skills updated.

Hospital Equipment

AMNCH, Tallaght and St Luke’s Hospital have kindly donated 80 life saving cardiac defibrillators to GECS. This initiative will supply over 20 hospitals in Africa with defibrillators for the first time. GECS faculty have ensured staff in the receiving hospitals are trained in safe defibrillation and resuscitation care.

How to get involved?

GECS is funded through voluntary contributions and fundraising events throughout the year. If you are a medical practitioner and wish to inquire about joining our teaching faculty, please visit our contact page.