Course structure

A course consists of two modules, each lasting four days, held within a year, followed by an examination. Between the two modules, course participants can practise regularly on two pieces of equipment provided by SmW at the training venue, under supervision if required. In addition, one or two weeks of purely practical training are offered in between, under the guidance of an instructor.

Each module comprises 10–12 lectures, each lasting approximately 20 minutes, followed by 90 minutes of practical training in small groups of four trainees, under the guidance of an instructor, using up to eight ultrasound machines.

After attending two course modules and, depending on the course, carrying out 50–100 independently performed and correctly documented ultrasound examinations in between, participants are required to sit an examination. The ‘Certificate of Completion’ will only be issued once they have passed this examination.

course participants

Participants from nearby hospitals, provinces and cantons also have access to the course venues. During the foundation’s first 15 years, over 1,500 places were filled, equating to around 100 places per year. Most participants attend two or more course modules.

Course content / Course programmes

To date, the Foundation SmW has run ultrasound courses in the fields of obstetrics, abdominal ultrasound, paediatrics and emergency medicine (POCUS). The detailed course programmes are attached to the respective course reports.

WHO

The WHO recommends that every expectant mother should have at least one ultrasound scan during her pregnancy.
As no ultrasound scan is officially included in the four antenatal check-ups offered by Kenya and Tanzania, SmW introduced the teaching concept of a ‘pre-natal scan between the 20th and 24th week of pregnancy’ into obstetric ultrasound, based on the principle that every pregnant woman should receive at least one ultrasound scan.

Course fees

Travel and accommodation costs for participants from outside the area are to be borne by the participants themselves. Until May 2022, the courses were free of charge or fully funded by the Foundation SmW. At the new location in Meru, the local organiser charges a fee in advance for both course modules, which has a positive effect on attendance at the second module and the completion of the final examination.

Kenya

• Meru Teaching & Referral Hospital bzw. KeMU Town Campus, Meru (see NEWS)

At present, we are offering only obstetric ultrasound courses in Meru, as this is where the greatest need lies during pregnancy.

However, according to the head of obstetrics at Meru Teaching and Referral Hospital (MeTRH), only around 10% of all pregnant women in Kenya currently undergo an ultrasound scan. This is primarily due to limited resources, as the scans are carried out in the radiology department, which, alongside all other imaging investigations, simply does not have the capacity to perform 2 million pregnancy ultrasounds per year. Accordingly, our shared goal is to train doctors, midwives and obstetric nurses in ultrasound. With the growing number of qualified professionals and equipment, more pregnant women will be able to benefit from an ultrasound scan.

Tanzania

• Mbeya Zonal Referral Hospital (MZRH), Mbeya 2020 – 2022
• St.Francis Referral Hospital (SFRH), Ifakara 2019 – 2020
• Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre (KCMC), Moshi 2017 – 2019
• Huruma Hospital, Mkuu 2014 – 2019

Kenya

• Kinango Subcounty Hospital 2010 – 2011
• Msambweni County Referral Hospital 2010 – 2011
• Kwale District Hospital 2010 – 2014