Ashgabat, 7 June 2024 – From 1-7 June 2024, medical specialists from intensive care units across Turkmenistan were trained on Pediatric Oxygen Therapy for Clinical Practice by UNICEF in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Medical Industry at the Scientific and Clinical Centre of the Mother and Child Health in Ashgabat.
Medical oxygen is a lifesaving medicine without substitute, used to treat both acute and chronic respiratory illnesses, including pneumonia. It is essential for surgery, trauma, emergency interventions, critical care, and for treating pregnant women with obstetric complications as well as newborns and children in respiratory distress. Access to quality medical oxygen is indispensable to achieve universal health coverage and seven of the nine targets of Sustainable Development Goal 3 on Good Health and Well-being.
As a result of the training the health professionals have stronger capacity to prescribe appropriate oxygen therapy to children by diagnosing, delivering, and administering oxygen to a patient.
“Continuous professional development is important in the field of oxygen therapy, since critical situations require high-level skills from a health specialist to correctly prescribe and use oxygen as a medical treatment. I am glad to see the strong interest and engagement of the participants during the training in Turkmenistan”, said Dzmitry Sankavets, UNICEF Consultant and Head of Training Center at the National Research and Practical Center “Mother and Child” from Belarus.
UNICEF Office in Turkmenistan supports the implementation of the oxygen solutions to the Mother and Child Health facilities, including access to supplies of essential oxygen-related products, installation of innovative oxygen generation plants, and building capacity of health workers to provide critical care for newborns and children. ///nCa, 7 June 2024 (in cooperation with UNICEF Turkmenistan)