NASSAU, The Bahamas – The Ministry of Health and Wellness is seeking to reduce the incidence of neurological disease, and fatal head and spinal injuries throughout the communities, by arming nurses with the required skills to make this possible.
Thanks to noted Bahamian-American Neurosurgeon Dr. Myron Rolle and the programme conducted by the Caribbean Neurosurgery Foundation Inc. of which Dr. Rolle is Chairman of the Board of Directors. More than 60 nurses from New Providence, Grand Bahama and the Family Islands will benefit from a two-day Neurotrauma Training Workshop, done by healthcare professionals of Massachusetts General Hospital, the original and largest teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School. Dr. Rolle is also resident at that facility.
The workshop was officially opened by the Minister of Health and Wellness the Hon. Dr Michael Darville on Tuesday, April 12 at Holy Trinity Activity Centre, Trinity Way, Stapledon Gardens. Through practical training, the nurses will learn how to improve on the immediate care delivered to patients presenting with traumatic brain and spinal injuries.
The focus on this critical component of care is the ability to stabilize neurotrauma cases — seen as bridging the gap between injury and high-level neurosurgical care, with the potential to improve outcomes and save lives.
Dr. Darville in his remarks underscored the importance of such training for nurses, who would deliver advanced healthcare to patients countrywide. Dr. Darville conveyed the message from Prime Minister the Hon. Philip Davis of being proud that Dr. Rolle – one of three Bahamian Rhodes Scholars — is among those who are giving back and making a difference in the development of the country and in this case, medicine.
The Bahamas is the first stop on the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Neurosurgical Initiative by the foundation. Dr. Rolle said he was excited to give back to “home first”, and then extend the programme to other CARICOM states.
To this, Dr. Darville said he was happy for the partnership and the training afforded Bahamian nurses, to whom he expressed appreciation for their work.
Chief Medical Officer Dr. Pearl McMillan pointed out that what is done in the first hour of trauma has the opportunity for long-term outcome. She added that learning and training is a positive step in the right direction for success in treating head or spine injuries.
Also present were Dr. Magnus Ekedede, Professor and Chairman of the Department of Neurosurgery at Princess Margaret Hospital, and other officials — local and international.
