The Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia (CIDRZ), with support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), has trained 25 Government of the Republic of Zambia (GRZ) Health Care Workers in critical care management of severely ill COVID-19 patients.

The training was aimed at equipping health care workers with skills to be used in treating patients in COVID-19 Centres across the country with an objective of increasing the capacity of frontline staff in managing COVID-19 patients.

The training attracted participants including Nurses and Doctors working in COVID- 19 facilities at the UniversityTeaching Hospital and Levy Mwanawasa University Teaching Hospital.

CIDRZ partnered with experts from the Ministry of Health and the Society of Anaesthetists of Zambia to facilitate the training.

The training which empowered the heath care workers with skills on how to handle seriously ill patients also equiped them on improving case management of patients with COVID-19 in the isolation centers.

Among many other skills which the health care workers obtained from the training include:

• Ability to  identify and assess severely/critically ill COVID-19 patient
• Providing optimum oxygen management of COVID-19 patients
• Providing Respiratory support using mechanical ventilation

CIDRZ wishes to recognise all the partners and USAID which have been very instrumental in fostering capacity building activities for health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Zambia.