Midwife cuts umbilical cord on patient simulator (Nepal)

Nepal Laerdal strengthens maternal and newborn care through simulation-based education

South & Central Asia
GIZ
Classic
Health care Education & Training

The Nepalese Government has set itself the goal of significantly reducing maternal and newborn mortality. One of its aims is to incorporate simulation-based education into the training of midwives, nurses and doctors in order to prevent medical errors and protect the health of mothers and newborns. For the manufacturers of solutions supporting simulation-based education, this opens up new market opportunities and – as a result of the changes to training – access to urgently needed and qualified specialist staff. Against this background, the Indian branch of the Norwegian simulation solutions provider, Laerdal, cooperated with the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH within the framework of the develoPPP programme of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). 

Simulation-based learning, as used in vocational education and training in industrialised countries, enables health care professionals to learn treatment methods without compromising patients' wellbeing. Whereas patient simulators are already used in most countries, they are still relatively new in Nepal, so that mainly traditional teaching methodologies are being applied. Midwives, nurses, doctors and other health care professionals learn the necessary treatment methods as part of their training, applying them directly on patients. As well as risking the patient’s safety, this may lead to more errors being made during treatment. By providing patient simulators and integrating simulation-based learning into training, the quality of maternal and newborn care can be greatly improved. Companies such as Laerdal can make a contribution here with its products and services and gain access to new markets and trained specialists to help improve quality of care. The framework conditions are favourable: the Nepalese Government made reducing maternal and newborn mortality a health policy priority back in 2014. 

The aim of the project was to integrate simulation-based education into the training of midwives and health care professionals in order to improve maternal and newborn care in Nepal. With a project volume of around EUR 400,000, the project partners implemented the following measures between 2018 and 2021: 

  • Training of university faculty members and skilled birth attendant trainers in hospitals in the use of simulation-based teaching methods, together with the implementation of the midwifery curriculum.
  • Strengthening of psychomotor and cognitive skills transfer in Bachelor’s degree programmes for midwives thanks to specially equipped simulation laboratories at two universities.
  • Introduction of skills labs and teaching modules into the training of midwives, nurses and doctors at seven training centres for skilled birth attendants. Each of these centres is a tertiary care hospital in the seven provinces of Nepal.
  • Expansion of the training programme to at least two additional universities or affiliated educational institutions.
  • Development of national guidelines for the establishment of simulation laboratories, provision of training courses on simulation-based education to faculty members, integration of simulation into midwifery curricula, and development of teaching tools. 

Laerdal and GIZ supported the Kathmandu University School of Medical Sciences (KUSMS), the National Academy of Medical Sciences (NAMS), the Ministry of Health & Population (MoHP), the Nepal Nursing Council (NNC), the National Health Training Center (NHTC) and seven skilled birth attendant training sites in developing teaching methods for simulation-based learning and integrating them into pre-service and in-service midwifery training.
 

Simulation-based education helps develop competent and confident healthcare providers which in turn, ensures that mothers and newborns receive high quality of care.
Dr. Rashmi Aradhya, Director Impact & Healthcare Simulation at Laerdal Medical
Simulated feeding of a baby (Nepal)
Midwifery educators being trained in simulation-based education in a 5-day training programme at Kathmandu University School of Medical Sciences. Photo: Laerdal
Officials at the opening of the Midwifery Simulation Lab in Kathmandu
Hon. Deputy Prime Minister and Health Minister, Upendra Yadav, inaugurated the Midwifery Simulation Lab at Kathmandu University School of Medical Sciences. Photo: Laerdal

The use of patient simulators and simulation-based teaching methods have improved the training of midwives and the quality of maternal and newborn care significantly. Simulation-based learning is now an accepted standard in education at several universities in Nepal. 

  • Simulation-based learning is an integral component at NAMS, KUSMS, many training centres for skilled birth attendants and multiple other educational institutions in Nepal 
  • Over 85 per cent of prospective birth attendants learn on patient simulators
  • Four other universities and educational institutions have requested about the training programme in simulation-based education 
     

DEVELOPMENT SUCCESSES

Heart with heartbeat

Reduced maternal and newborn mortality

Person with stethoscope

Improved maternal and newborn care

Graduation hat

Higher quality of midwifery education

BUSINESS SUCCESSES

Circles with lines

Expansion of sales activities in South Asia

Globe with pin

Opening up of new markets for medical products and services 

Document

Equipping medical professionals with the skills to work with patient simulators

Woman working at a loom

develoPPP Classic

develoPPP Classic is aimed at medium-sized and large companies that want to invest sustainably in a developing or emerging country and expand their operational activities locally. Suitable projects receive technical and financial support of up to two million euros in public funding.

Logo Laerdal

Laerdal Medical India Private Limited

Laerdal Medical India Pvt. Ltd. is a subsidiary of Laerdal Medical AS, Norway, with about,1400 employees worldwide. In low-resource countries, Laerdal Global Health, the sister company of Laerdal Medical, is committed to improving quality of care for mothers and newborns by offering products and training concepts around the day of birth. Laerdal Medical India represents Laerdal Medical AS and Laerdal Global health AS in South Asia.

GIZ-Logo

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH

GIZ is a federal enterprise operating in international cooperation for sustainable development and education work for over 50 years. GIZ supports economic development and employment and works with companies to develop strategies for sustainable business development.

Rashmi Aradhya
Dr. Rashmi Aradhya Director Impact & Healthcare Simulation Laerdal Medical India Pvt. Ltd
Daniel May
Daniel May Project Manager develoPPP Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH