International Rotational Program of Emergency Medicine Residents to Mozambique: Introducing a Medical Education Program to a Single Hospital

Introduction: There are several medical elective programs for low-income countries especially in medically vulnerable places. The Hospital Central de Quelimane (HCQ) is a regional hospital in Quelimane, capital city of the province of Zambezia in Mozambique. The HCQ serves as a regional base hospital for urgent and severe patients. Methods: Four emergency medicine (EM) residents participated in our 2017-2018 rotational program for HCQ, to share medical knowledge with the local medical doctors and support the demands of medical equipment skills and educational programs. We determined the current capabilities of HCQ and designed a rotational program in accordance with the demands in the following areas: resuscitation, trauma, critical care, and radiology. We also introduced continuous education programs and administrative methods for future development of education. Results: Throughout the four rotations of our EM residents, we conducted daily education and several practical lessons based on the demands of the local doctors and equipment operation. The educational program was administered by an educational administrator who was responsible for updating the medical and technical knowledge of doctors. With our programs, the doctors of HCQ were able to perform resuscitation and critical protocols, including manipulating equipment such as mechanical ventilator and defibrillator. Conclusion: The rotation program by the four residents was successful, in terms of sharing medical knowledge and equipment management, and filling gaps identified in the operation of a modern hospital.