Welsh anaesthetists give life-saving training in Namibia

Five senior anaesthetists from south Wales are heading to a remote region of southern Africa to provide life-saving training.

The intensive course in desert-like Oshakati, Namibia, will equip medical officers with vital skills in anaesthetics and critical care.

About 16 medical officers, who work in clinics, hospitals and communities, will be trained over two weeks.

The training is part of Cardiff University's Phoenix project.

The university has teamed up with the Welsh government and the University of Namibia (UNAM) for a raft of activities involving education, health and science.

Namibia has just a handful of medically qualified anaesthetists - and a desperate shortage of critical care doctors - for a geographically huge country of over two million people.

"In Oshakati we'll be providing basic anaesthetic skills in relation to mothers having babies because Caesarean Sections are one of the most common operations in Africa," project leader Prof Judith Hall said.

"They've also asked for training in the management of sick people because a lot of patients have to travel long distances to hospital.

"It's particularly crucial the more rural an area is - because of the distances involved, they can be very, very ill by the time they arrive at hospital.

"With pregnant mothers you may not get the baby out, but if you recognise they're ill you can give fluids and resuscitate, which will save lives."