Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health Emergency Obstetric Drills to improve maternal and Child Outcomes

Obstetric emergencies drill training.

Obstetric emergencies can arise at any point during labor, necessitating rapid and skilled intervention to minimize adverse outcomes for both mother and child.

Emergency obstetric drills have become a vital component of modern obstetric care in order to guarantee that healthcare providers are well-equipped to manage such situations.

Education, supervision, mentoring, and coaching are good strategies to equip healthcare providers and midwives with the knowledge and skills necessary to avoid and manage potentially fatal pregnancy and postpartum events, improve performance, and motivate healthcare professionals.

A group of midwives from various health centers in Wetlands Sub- County, Nairobi County convened at Kangemi Health Centre for an obstetric emergencies drill training mentorship supported by the University of Nairobi USAID-Fahari ya Jamii Program in partnership with Nairobi City County Government.

USAID Fahari ya Jamii, in partnership with Jacaranda Health and the Nairobi City County health management team, has transitioned Emergency Obstetric & Newborn Care (EmONC) training from the classrooms to the delivery rooms of county government and private health institutions to ensure that healthcare workers and midwives have the skills necessary to provide life-saving care. With the use of this curriculum, midwives will be able to provide consistent peer mentoring and coaching.

USAID Fahari ya Jamii works with Nairobi City County to improve the quality of Maternal Neonatal and Child Health (MNCH) services as a proven approach for improving maternal, newborn, and child survival. The project provides training and mentorship in priority MNCH interventions: integrated antenatal care (ANC) services, skilled birth attendance (SBA), Respectful Maternity Care (RMC), Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care (EmONC) and Comprehensive Obstetric and Newborn Care, and post-natal care (PNC).

Obstetric drills are designed to simulate real-life obstetric emergencies and provide an opportunity for healthcare providers to practice their skills in a safe and controlled environment. During these exercises, healthcare providers must work as a team to properly manage an emergency. During simulations, healthcare professionals can practice communication approaches such as closed-loop communication, which involves repeating information to assure receipt and comprehension.

“Midwives can improve their confidence and reduce errors by increasing their knowledge and skills in managing obstetric emergencies through practice and repetition.” Said Jane Sudi, the labor nurse at Kangemi Health Centre.

Communication and coordination are essential for the management of obstetric emergencies. These skills can be honed through obstetric emergency drills, allowing medical professionals to respond promptly and effectively in the event of a real emergency. Managing obstetric emergency drills effectively decreases the risk of adverse outcomes for both mother and child.

The midwives in this training program are given the opportunity to reflect after the simulation, discuss how to improve and complement one another on their emergency response. This technique is essential since it can inform future training and practice.

Emergency obstetric drills are essential to increasing patient safety and care quality. By simulating potential emergencies, healthcare practitioners and midwives can discover areas for improving care and collaborate to find solutions. With regular practice and evaluation, obstetric emergency drills can help ensure that healthcare providers are prepared to handle any obstetric emergency that may occur during childbirth. By engaging in these simulation exercises, healthcare facilities can lower the likelihood of adverse events and enhance patient outcomes.

In 2022 USAID Fahari ya Jamii supported emergency preparedness drills and, Emergency Maternal Obstetric and Newborn Care (EMONC) training for 40 healthcare workers in Pumwani Hospital which was part of initiatives that resulted in zero maternal deaths from July to December 2022.

The project plans to scale up these exercises to all sub-counties in Nairobi in the hope of preventing adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes.