Cape Town - With over 30 years of experience in every kind of disaster and the appropriate relief response required, Gift of the Givers (GOTG), in collaboration with Stellenbosch University’s Centre for Global Surgery will be offering a unique short course to members of the public.
Established in 1992 by Dr Imtiaz Sooliman, GOTG has grown exponentially through building trust with the public and private sector, and has become the unofficial first responders in every disaster, regardless of the magnitude.
Its work is not confined to South Africa, or even the continent, with the organisation routinely assisting where the need is identified and has, to date, assisted in 45 countries.
The Centre for Global Surgery has an interest in training surgeons to work in humanitarian disasters, where surgical care is unavailable but needed.
The exclusive short course on Preparedness for Humanitarian Disasters will be led by Sooliman and the team, using real missions to teach logistical, medical and ethical principles of working in disaster settings.
Centre for Global Surgery director and surgeon who previously worked for non-governmental organisation Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) Kathryn Chu said although open to the general public, those working in the medical or allied health professions are encouraged to attend.
“This course is indeed to give an in-depth, behind-the-scenes look into what happens in the minutes, hours and days after a disaster strikes, in terms of organising humanitarian medical assistance. In addition to the medical skills needed, the course will also teach about the ethical principles of working in another country and the logistics of getting needed human resources there,” Chu said. “Humanitarian missions need nurses, dentists, surgical technicians, paramedics, mental health professionals, search-andrescue teams and more.”
The course may be repeated annually, depending on the demand.
The short course will be offered at the SU Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Education Building (lecture hall 11), Tygerberg Campus on May 27 and 28, 2023.
The short course cost is R1 000 and R500 for students. For more information, email mcompanie@sun.ac.za
shakirah.thebus@inl.co.za