In her address at the event the State Counsellor spoke of the day being a dawn of another unique success in the teaching and practising history of medical and related universities. This will allow for the systematic teaching and learning of international level medical expertise by doctors, nurses, medical experts and health care personnel who play a main role in public health care works.
Construction of the medical simulation training centre and research building commenced in January 2018 and it took nearly two years to be completed.
Now that the building was constructed and machineries and equipments installed, utilization can commence. More than K 12,000 million was used for it with the State allocating more than K 9,800 million and local and foreign donors donating more than K 2,300 million worth of cash and kind.
It is a proud moment to establish such training and research centre that never existed before in the medical teaching and learning history of Myanmar. It was established in the compound of University of Medicine 1 Yangon. The centre was aimed for 16 medical and related and universities as well as for 50 nurse and mid-wife training schools. Glad to know that another one will be constructed in Mandalay for upper Myanmar. Union Minister for Health and Sports Dr Myint Htwe was enthusiastically striving toward implementing this.
In fact we still need to do more for our country’s medical education teaching and training to reach international level. We’ll have to study how to catch up if we were left behind. Now is the time when technology developments were progressing rapidly and the same goes with medical technologies too. The quality of the doctors, nurses and health care technicians are directly related to patients’ livelihood, overcoming illnesses and recovery. It is a matter of continuously studying the developing technologies to uplifting own capability and quality.
Another matter to emphasize is research works of the universities. Research plays a vital role in the existence and development or progress of universities. Progress and development in research greatly support a country’s development.
Among the world universities, the level of our universities rises. However, compared to other universities in ASEAN countries, it had dropped. I asked why? The answer was the rapid development and progress of ASEAN universities. These universities were progressing mainly due to research. This was where we’ll have to reinforce.
In research works, medical universities as well as other universities in our country are to use modern and developed lab and equipment. Much need to be done toward development in research. The State was providing more and more funds for development in research works. Starting from fiscal year 2017-2018, the Ministry of Health and Sports was specially provided with more funds. At the moment, an increasing numbers of health care personnel were reading papers and making presentations at international research conferences. Post graduate, master and doctorate students need to make more efforts toward producing more international level research papers. They need to be more involved in international medical area.
Medical and related universities ought to conduct more medical research with Medical Research Department and National Laboratory. Here they need not be down hearted. If we are left behind, put more efforts with a belief that there are more roads left to be taken up ahead.
Learning and practicing medical expertise was not as easy as thought. There were situations where a patients feeling pain and fatigue need to be taken into consideration. In international workshops and discussion, mannequins, donated body parts, medicine and equipments were used to simulate real life situations. This was similar to using simulators to train pilots with developing technologies rather than using an actual airplane. Due to medical simulation training centre and research department, doctors and nurses can practice repeatedly until the actual treatment work can be conducted without endangering the patient.
In this department, clinical skill as well as non-technical skill including team work, communication and leadership subjects can be taught. But I don’t want to encourage the mindset of wanting to become a leader. Some just want to be a leader. Who was following? More need to be done toward cooperating.
It will also be teaching management, professionalism and medical ethics. This was very good. These are soft skills that are required everywhere.
A doctor must not only be skilled and learned in medicine. He/she must be an expert in social skills. It was good that arrangements were made to teach this too even though it would be a bit difficult to teach this with mannequins.
Research was essential to know the requirement of the country and to resolve problems. Post graduate students, specialist and professor are urged to conduct more research works that could development relevant subjects as well as to resolve problems faced by the patients. Publish and utilize the outcome results of the research.
For the medical simulation training and research center building to run smoothly, human resources need to be trained. Systematic management and administration is required for sustainability. The Union Minister for Health and Sports was instructed to provide required training expenses as well as medicines and equipments. Material and human resources need to be replenished in order for the department to run successfully and achieve good results. Teachers and students are urged to use the training and research centre to raise public health care quality.
Local and international donors provided much support toward establishment of this centre. Cadaveric Laboratory, Microsurgical Training Lab, Simulation Operation Theatre, Emergency Department, Simulation Intensive Care Unit, Labour Room, Scope Simulator and Research Laboratory as well as Audio Visual System were said to be donated. Thanks to all. Help and assistant provided to state projects are valued. Thank to the organizations and people who helped toward establishing this centre. May this centre benefit the country and people in the health care sector for long said the State Counsellor.— MNA(Translated by Zaw Min)
