In partnership with the GE Foundation, EWH continues to train BMETs and BMET instructors around the world. Here’s a look at how our programs, new and old, are doing:

Honduras:

EWH transitioned the BMET Honduras program over fully to our educational partner, INFOP, in 2014. Previously, no BMET Training program existed in Honduras, and lack of functional medical equipment is a major healthcare barrier in Honduras, as it is in many developing countries. INFOP now owns the program locally and currently accepts and graduates 20 students through this program each year.

This fall, board member and former BMET Honduras Country Coordinator Justin Cooper successfully raised funds to supply INFOP with additional training equipment. The additional educational tools will help maintain the quality of the program.

Cambodia:

In April 2016, EWH handed full control of the BMET Cambodia program over to the University of Puthisastra. In September, 10 students from the first Cohort graduated! Cohort 2 and Cohort 3 completed 6th and 4th semester respectively, and students prepared for October’s in-hospital mentoring and internships following the classroom session. Cohort 2 is busy preparing for their final exams in December.

Ung Kunthear and Dhritiman Das, EWH’s mentors and trainers in Cambodia, were both hired by the University of Puthisastra to continue their work with the BMET Training program.

Rwanda:

Our educational partner in Kigali, IPRC, is now teaching three cohorts of BMET students, along with a group of part-time night school students. When we began the BMET Rwanda program in 2009, there were no trained BMETs working in the country. Today, there are trained BMETs in every district, with more graduating from IPRC each year. BMETs in Rwanda have made special efforts to build a strong professional network, and have created the Rwanda Association of Medical Engineering (RAME).

Costica Uwitonze and Patrick Higiro, EWH’s local program coordinators in Rwanda, have both traveled to Ethiopia to assist in training new BMETs there as well.

Nigeria:

In 2014, Engineering World Heath started our fifth BMET Training program in Lagos, Nigeria, with the Lagos University Teaching Hospital as our educational partner. The first group of students is studying hard for their final exams and is set to graduate this December. Nigeria is by far the largest and most populous country in which EWH has launched a BMET Training program, creating new challenges as some students must travel long distances to study in Lagos. With dedicating mentoring and extensive in-hospital training, we have seen tremendous success in this program!

Ethiopia:

Our newest program started in January 2016 at the Tegbareid Technical & Vocational Training College in Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa. The program focuses on providing more advanced training to existing technicians and future instructors. Gunalan Dass, who mentored students in Cambodia and Rwanda, is currently mentoring students in Ethiopia.

So far, EWH’s Ethiopian students have completed three sessions of lecture and lab training. This program has also seen a unique variety of guest instructors, which students have found very beneficial as they explore different styles of teaching. Students have eagerly taken opportunities to present to each other as they work hard to become teachers as well as technicians.

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Each country we work in has been unique, with its own needs, challenges, and opportunities. In each country, we have had the joy of watching our students gain confidence and pride in their work. The instructors we train ensure the sustainability of each program, creating a continuous supply of well-trained BMETs to work in hospitals and clinics in all parts of each country. As our students graduate and become BMETs working in hospitals, they know the value each repair they make has for their hospital, for the patients seeking care, and for their country’s healthcare system.