CBC Health Services Graduates Maiden Batch of Anaesthetic Assistants
The CBC Health Services graduated the first and second batches of Anaesthetic Assistants at the Nkwen Baptist Hospital on June 15, 2023. After welcoming everyone, the Administrator of the Nkwen Baptist Hospital, Mr. Kangong Joce revealed that the graduating batches had undergone a year of training each.
“The first batch was trained from 2021-2022 while the second batch from 2022-2023. The first trainees had been working since the completion of their training. The two batches agreed to graduate today in a joined ceremony,” the Administrator of the hospital pointed out.
The course coordinator of the Anaesthesia Assistant program, Mr. Mbah John said 37 students were graduating after undergoing both theoretical and practical training at the Nkwen Baptist Hospital, with a 100 percent success rate. He used the ceremony to admonish them on the importance of respecting the ethics of their profession. He appreciated the Director of Health Services for the CBC for giving the go-ahead for the course to be carried out and other stakeholders who contributed in facilitating the course.
While announcing the next session that begins in August, the course Coordinator described the nature of the training thus: “We have two months of training of theory in class, and then we take two months of practical rotations in other health institutions and then we keep rotating till the course gets finished in a year. After the rotations, the students come back to the classroom with renewed practical experience.”
An anesthetic assistant is an advanced practicing nurse who administers anesthesia for surgery or other medical procedures. They are involved in getting the patient under anaesthesia control level of consciousness to make sure everything is safe for surgeons to operate.
An anesthetic assistant provides pain medication (anesthesia) care for patients before, during, and after surgery. They administer medications to keep patients asleep or pain-free during surgery and constantly monitor every biological function of the patient’s body.
During the graduation ceremony, the Deputy Director of Administration and Finance (DDAF), Mr. Warri Denis called on the graduates to take up the task they have been assigned with diligence and excellence because their skills are greatly needed by all hospitals. He assured the instructors and healthcare workers present that the program will continue to train others like the recent graduates.
“Today, we celebrate a mile stone in our services, we celebrate the availability of competent anesthesia assistants who are going out to reinforce the team that is already in the field to ensure the delivery of quality services to our patients. … The training of these staff is a proof of our commitment to ensuring quality service delivery.
The training started as a result of the growing high need of anesthesia personnel services in our facility. We have been growing at a very fast rate and the demand for the Anesthesia Assistants also increased and this gave birth for the course. We are charging them to be professional and ethical in their discharge of duty in line with Christian values and CBC Health Services mission,” the DDAF pointed out.
The Communication Unit of the CBC Health Services reached out to some of the graduates. Ndi Edwin Tume, like the other graduates, expressed gratitude for having gone through the training: “I gained much knowledge during my training. I learned on how to ensure that patients go through surgery pain free. I am motivated by the additional knowledge I have gained during this training and I am looking forward to practicing and contributing to the quality of care we provide to our patients” he expressed.
There was general satisfaction expressed by all granduands as they get ready to practice in theatres of the CBC Health Services facilities around the country.
The hospital Administration, leaders from the Director of Health Services office, family members, friends and well wishers were present to congratulate and cheer on the graduands.