OREANDA-NEWS. Perkumpulan Obstetri dan Ginekologi Indonesia (POGI), in collaboration with GE Healthcare, will initiate the first ultrasound certified competency training to enhance medical education for OB/GYNs across Indonesia. The training begins just in time, as new standards across the Indonesian healthcare industry now require OB/GYNs to obtain Clinical Privilege, a new certificate needed for public and private practice of ultrasound use in Obstetrics and Gynecology. In support of the program, GE Healthcare will provide its ultrasound technology including the Voluson E8, Voluson P8 and LOGIQ C5 Premium. GE Healthcare will also provide an educational grant to cover textbooks for trainees and the use of computers during training.

Kelompok Kerja (POKJA) Ultrasonografi POGI will be responsible for conducting the training program, which aims to train all of POGI’s members. The training consists of three competency levels: Basic, Intermediate, and Advanced.

"After completion of ultrasound competency training, Indonesian OB/GYNs will obtain their competency certification and Clinical Privilege that is essential to enhance their skills and to meet the required standard of competency," said Dr. Nurdadi Saleh, SpOG, Chairman of POGI. "Moreover, Clinical Privilege will strengthen the skills of our OB/GYNs to deliver enhanced patient care."

This collaboration is also part of GE Healthcare’s “AHLI” initiative. AHLI, or the ASEAN Healthcare Learning Institute, is a virtual institution organized by GE Healthcare to fulfill the need of health experts in countries across ASEAN.

"At GE Healthcare, we recognize the critical role healthcare education training plays in delivering quality patient care. Investing in education creates opportunities to improve clinical knowledge, reduce patient risks and provide enhanced patient care, " said Dave Utama, President & CEO of GE Healthcare ASEAN. “We’re thrilled to collaborate with POGI to provide standardized training to the OB/GYN community, bringing better health to more women across Indonesia.”

At the turn of the century, the United Nations announced its Millennium Development Goals to address the world’s most staggering health and poverty issues. Recognizing the importance of preserving health everywhere, in 2010 GE committed to helping reach these goals, specifically MDGs 4 & 5, which target maternal and infant mortality. With this initiative, GE Healthcare has focused on expanding its Maternal-Infant Care technology portfolio and helping provide greater access to quality healthcare across the developing world. Thirteen years after the MDGs were declared, while many countries have showed progress, maternal mortality has shown the least progress. The indicators improved by many countries in developing regions remains the greatest challenge. For Indonesia, its target for MDG 5 is to reduce three quarters of the maternal mortality ratio (MMR) from 390 in 1994 to 110 in 2015.

“OBGYNs play a critical role in supporting the Indonesian Government to accelerate the achievement of MDGs 4 & 5. MMR will be reduced through improved quality of patient’s care delivery,” said Dr. Herman Kristanto, MS, SpOG(K), Head of POKJA USG POGI. “As such, education is one of our top priorities at POGI and we’re glad to have GE Healthcare’s support and collaboration to further the clinical skills of our members.”