September 2024 

continuing medical education (CME) Conferences

The TRIUMPH Project kicked off in September 2024 with an ambitious cross-continental collaboration. Bringing together healthcare professionals from the United States, India, and Ethiopia, the Train and Help Babies Organization hosted CME conferences and skill-building workshops.

India Team

The September 2024 trip included partnerships between the Train and Help Babies Organization and Karnataka Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS) in Hubli, Karnataka, BLDE (Deemed to be University) in Vijayapura, Karnataka and Sri Venkateshwara Medical College (SVMC) in Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh. 

 

KIMS in Hubli has been a partnering medical center with the Train and Help Babies Organization since 2017, participating in past training conferences and quality improvement projects. For the September 2024 trip, KIMS welcomed the U.S. team for a tour of their facilities, including the newer milk bank which has been having much success in providing breast milk to neonatals.

 

BLDE and SVMC each hosted a one-day CME conference and skill-building workshops to faculty from the medical center’s Obstetrics and Pediatrics departments, postgraduate students, and various community healthcare workers, including representatives from primary and community health centers (PHC and CHC), ASHA workers, and preventive social medicine (PSM) staff. 

 

In addition to the CME conference, SVMC in Tirupati graciously hosted a team of healthcare professionals from three medical centers in Ethiopia. SVMC provided opportunities for the Ethiopia team to learn and observe how maternal and infant healthcare is practiced in its medical center and surrounding community. 

U.S. Team

The U.S. team was comprised of healthcare professionals from Michigan and Texas who offered their expertise in the areas of pediatrics, neonatology, and respiratory therapy. Their trip started with a visit to KIMS in Hubli where they toured several key facilities, including the Special Newborn Care Unit (SNCU), NICU, labor and delivery areas, inpatient wards, Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU), maternal block, academic wing, and the milk bank hosted by KIMS. During their time at KIMS, the team held several meetings with key personnel, including the heads of Preventive Social Medicine and Neonatology, as well as the superintendent, OB Head of Department, and specialists in neonatal and preventive social medicine, to discuss future steps for collaboration on the project.

 

The team then moved on to BLDE in Vijayapura, where they participated in a CME conference to lead lectures and hands-on skill-building workshops. The U.S. team also received a facility tour of BLDE, and met with key administrative personnel, including the Vice Chancellor (Pro-Chancellor), Pro Vice Chancellor, Registrar, and heads of Obstetrics, PSM, and Pediatrics departments to discuss potential collaborative efforts.

 

The next stop for the U.S. team was to Kakatiya Medical College (KMC) in Warangal, Telangana. This visit served as an initial site assessment and included general interest conversations with key personnel, including the heads of the Pediatrics and Obstetrics departments and the superintendent, to explore a potential collaboration with the TaHB team. This visit included an initial site assessment to evaluate the center’s needs and a facility tour of Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Hospital (MGMH). Additionally, they visited a district general hospital or Community Health Center (CHC) for further site assessment and met with Warangal Rotarians to discuss a future global grant.

 

The trip wrapped up with a CME conference at Sri Venkateshwara Medical College (SVMC) in Tirupati to lead lectures and hands-on skill-building workshops. The team met with Rotarians and had the opportunity to interact with the Ethiopian team. 

Ethiopia Team

The Ethiopia team consisted of obstetricians, pediatricians, NICU nurses, and midwives from two medical centers in Addis Ababa, St. Peter’s Specialized Hospital and Zewditu Memorial Hospital, and Tibebe Ghion Specialized Hospital in Bahir Dar. This team traveled to Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, India where they stayed for over a week participating in activities at SVMC.


While in India, the Ethiopia team received training from the Prati Bimb Foundation, which covered a range of topics, including Helping Mothers Survive (HMS), Helping Babies Breathe (HBB), Helping Babies Survive (HBS), and maternal infection prevention and management. 


The majority of the trip included the team engaging in various clinical settings, including outpatient and inpatient pediatrics, the delivery room, NICU, and the operating room. Their focus was on the follow-up care of both outpatient and inpatient pediatric cases, particularly for Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy (HIE) infants and high-risk newborns. Additionally, the team concentrated on the treatment aspects of the Bundle Project by observing newborns of high-risk pregnancies in the delivery room and studying the treatment and management of HIE cases in the NICU. They also visited a primary health care (PHC) center, where they focused on prevention, treatment, and follow-up, gaining insights into the day-to-day operations of the PHC. This visit emphasized follow-up care for normal and high-risk pregnant women and babies. The HMS and HBS/HBB training sessions were adapted for practical application in the primary healthcare setting, aiming to improve maternal and newborn health outcomes. 


The trip ended with the Ethiopia team attending the CME conference at SVMC in Tirupati, where they participated in lectures on neonatal and maternal topics and engaged in a skills-building workshop to further enhance their practical knowledge and skills.