Press Release

International Medical Corps Partners with Haitian Medical Groups To Create Emergency Medical Specialty Training and Certification

International Medical Corps is partnering with the medical profession in Haiti – including the Haitian Medical Association, the Medical Specialty Societies, and the Medical Education Sector – to launch the first emergency medicine training and certification process for Haitian doctors and paramedics.

International Medical Corps, a relief and development NGO, began a series of meetings last week with the Haitian organizations aimed at establishing opportunities for continuing medical education (CME) and continuing professional development (CPD), as well as to establish an accreditation, board, and certification (ABC) process for Haitian medical professionals.  Identified as a top priority by leaders in the Haitian medical establishment, emergency medicine will be the first specialty to be established and receive trainings coordinated by International Medical Corps.

“It is the right moment, and this is an opportunity that we will take advantage of immediately,” said Dr. Claude Surena, President of the Haitian Medical Association. Last week’s meeting set the stage for a larger conference in mid-June that will bring together more than 200 professionals from various medical sectors, including NGOs, the private sector, government officials, and other Haitian medical societies.

“What we will be setting up is the platform for the next generation of Haitian health professionals,” said Agron Ferati, Director of Program Development for International Medical Corps.  “Our partners in emergency medicine are ready to bring technical experts to help form a specialty society, help establish national emergency medicine policy, and help graduate the first group of emergency medicine physicians and paramedics.”

International Medical Corps’ role will be to connect members of the Haitian medical establishment to its network of technical specialists and physicians from the United States and other parts of the developed world.
International Medical Corps professionals also would assist Haitian medical leaders in the writing of proposed ABC legislation.
International Medical Corps and its partners will begin training doctors and paramedics in emergency medicine and mass casualty before the conference in mid-June.

International Medical Corps has many years’ experience in the development of certification and training programs for doctors and other medical professionals. In Afghanistan, it provides a residency training program for doctors in obstetrics and gynecology, radiology, anesthesiology, and pediatrics, as well as for midwives, pharmacists, and nurses. In Iraq, International Medical Corps operates CME and CPD programs for physicians and health care administrators.

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