Zooming to Cameroon

Local Cameroonian instructors, who are now organising their own Newborn Care Courses, ran an NCC last week in Yaoundé, Cameroon.  Some NICHE Instructors joined them for parts of the course via zoom from UK, to try out the technology and assess the feasibility of remote training.

We were able, remotely, to:

1. Demonstrate how to run a simulation (this was management of a baby having fits).  NICHE Instructors from their homes in London and N. Ireland did this on zoom at the request of Cameroonian Instructors who watched.

2. Deliver one of the lectures on the NCC course via zoom

3. Join the faculty meetings in Cameroon at the end of each day.

4. Join the candidates for certificate presentation at the end of the course.

This was a useful exercise as we are thinking about the practicalities of training online, in particular delivering ‘Instructor Development Days’ for Cameroonian NCC Instructors, which before the pandemic, we had hoped to be able to do in person in November.

There are some technological improvements to make, but generally it was successful.

It was a pleasure to see our Cameroonian colleagues, who keep going despite pandemic and political difficulties.

Some comments from candidates on the course:

  • The training was an impacting one with lots of skills and knowledge acquired.  I could have wish that all health personnel around the world be train if possible to augment care of neonates.
  • I am confident now that I can take care of a newborn very well as compare to what i was doing in my station, especially resuscitating asphyxiated babies immediately after delivery.