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Welcome to the summer edition of our newsletter. We hope you find it interesting as well as informative.
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Welcome to the Summer 2015 PRIME newsletter!
Welcome to the summer edition of our newsletter. We hope you find it interesting as well as informative. It can only give a small taster of the very varied activities of PRIME but there is always more
information on our website or if you have an interest in a specific area you are welcome to contact the office.
The Annual Conference that took place in Lichfield in March was more international than ever with people from 17 countries taking part and was a great occasion, thanks in great part the tireless work of the PRIME CEO and office staff. Many of the overseas visitors contributed extremely well-received reports on their work and the role that PRIME had played where they came from. Some of their comments are to be found this newsletter. We believe that it is important to bring people together in such a way and are very grateful to our tutors and Network friends for their generous support for our bursary fund. When our national partners feel they are truly a part of global PRIME they are empowered to spread the whole person care concept and message not only within their own countries but also to those around.
Exciting examples of this are shown by the leader of PRIME’s work in Kenya leading a PRIME workshop in neighbouring Rwanda this July. Last year a message delivered in Uganda by one of his colleagues was enthusiastic received by WHO consultant charged with amassing principles of teaching humanity in healthcare who said, “At last I have found an organisation that actually does this”.
John Geater PRIME International Director
Who are we?
Over a billion people worldwide lack access to even the most basic healthcare, often because there are no healthcare workers: train a healthcare worker and you can help save lives.Train a healthcare educator and you can help save thousands of lives.PRIME is a charity committed to training, envisioning and empowering doctors and other healthcare workers to excellence in practice coupled with compassionate whole person patient-centred care.
Last year…In 2014 PRIME tutors delivered 70 separate programmes in 27 different countries across Africa, Asia, Europe, Oceania, North and South America involving over 79 tutors overseas providing 200 days of teaching and training to 3000+ individuals - this in addition to the ongoing work of our national partners proclaiming the whole person message in their daily work.
This year…PRIME already has 57 programmes planned, in discussion or being developed in India, Uganda, Portugal, Ukraine, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Middle East, UK, Sierra Leone, Romania, Poland, Czech Republic, Ethiopia, Nepal, Far East, Peru, Turkey, Nigeria, Swaziland, Kenya, Russia, Ghana, Armenia, Albania…
In this issue:
www. p r i m e -‐ i n t e r n a t i o n a l . o r g
N e w s l e t t e r
Summer 2015
• International Director’s news • Pouring in Poznan • ‘life transforming knowledge’ • ‘If you go up the stairs today’ • ‘… it is cool to be old and married…’ • ‘I had a lot of wonderful experiences’ • Some more rather lovely comments •
• Nepal - and the extraordinary efforts of one man • Earthquakes and dreaming • Developing Mental Health e-journal • PRIME Australia news • Small drops in a vast ocean • Course after course prepared with love • … and soooooo much more! •
It’s been exciting to see a third-generation PRIME formation, with the training for a tutor team in Singapore being carried out by PRIME Australia (second
generation). Meanwhile another training programme is being operated in Nigeria by a joint team of UK and Nigerian PRIME tutors aimed at increasing the number of tutors in-country to reach throughout the whole of the western region and neighbouring countries.
Quite obviously in this summary it is impossible to summarise all the work being done by so many tutors in so many parts of the world including new areas but there is cause for rejoicing that seeds sown many years ago are starting to germinate. We must of course continue to record with great gratitude the number of overseas visits carried out by UK-based tutors, but we also need to
recognise the enormous work being done daily by our national partners round the world, who are an intrinsic part of PRIME. Indeed, without their carrying forward the vision where they are there would be no sustainability for our work. Some work in extremely difficult and sometimes dangerous situations with great courage. It is a privilege to support them in prayer and through electronic communication so they know they are not alone.
Thank you for reading this newsletter, and thank you to all who have contributed to the financial support of PRIME. Thank you to those of you who have prayed for the work here and work of partners overseas: may you all feel a part of this work of God as we move forward to bring about more compassionate whole person care in many countries.
John Geater PRIME International Director
and that’s not all…
M y h o s t h a d suggested that the quickest way to get from my h o t e l t o t h e c o n f e r e n c e centre in Poznań was to walk. The
air was warm, the route interesting, and the talk material comfortably secure in my suit pocket. Speaking to an international conference of physiotherapists on ‘Physiotherapy for the Hear t’ would give an excellent opportunity to combine teaching in a l ively academic environment on both cardiology and whole person care.
My musings on the talk were interrupted by a tiny spot of rain on my nose; and the sky above the tall buildings was darkening rapidly. I walked rather more quickly, and close to their walls, but with
increasing rainfall their shelter soon proved inadequate. No cover was provided by the pedestrian lights that stayed unresponsive to my urgent and repeated summons to display a green man. Eventually, by hurriedly dodging a multitude of mu l t i - co l ou red , mu l t i - he i g h t umbrellas, I reached the semi-permeable shelter of a line of trees opposite the university entrance to which I was heading. There I paused, just 300 yards of open space short of the conference centre. As the rainfall became a cloudburst, To wait or to dash? pre-occupied my thinking… Drenched and delayed, I dashed.
PRIME events are rarely without challenges – but never without mercies also pouring down on those involved. The gift of a lady unexpectedly opening a side-door in the university building allowed the more discrete arrival of a soggy
speaker and afforded help with mopping up. Hot air driers restored a semblance of normality before I met the Dean and other dignitaries; and the lecture was c lear ly appreciated. New contacts were made that may well strengthen PRIME’s base locally as well as encourage our existing partners there.
The event was attended, too, by several other 'pourings out' on our team and on the people we met over the few days of our visit: of a new understanding that God offers to be close to us at all times and in all circumstances; of opportunities to share and suppor t each other especially in challenging times; and of seeing the faces of a number of our participants light up with a new recognition of the healing benefit of embracing whole persons in all that we do.
Richard Vincent PRIME CEO
Pouring in Poznań
Comments from the recent CMDA/PRIME conference in Uyo, Nigeria, organised and run by PRIME in-‐country partners and PRIME tutors Drs Kayode Iyun, Femi Olowookere, and Chima Onoka
‘life-transforming knowledge’
Very interesting
programme!
Highly educative and life changing
experience
Eye opening information
The presenters
were absolutely wonderful and
impactful
I sincerely appreciate God for
using PRIME to bring this life transforming
knowledge to me at this stage of my medical
practice
Presentation techniques were
clear and unambiguous PRIME should
continue the good work, this is what the
world needs
Learnt how to be a
good doctor and impactful teacher
Thank you for the opportunity
I’ve had a wonderful experience
I’m happy I came
“The University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH) hosts monthly seminars where departments take turns to present on topical issues. The seminars usually hold on the second Wednesday of every month from 1.00 pm to 4.00 pm and it is a CME points awarding program.The Cross River State chapter of CMDA Nigeria, having considered the state of decay in the health care system where compassion is lost and patients are treated as cases, made a proposal to the management of UCTH to take a turn in the hospital seminar schedule. The intent was to present the Whole Person Medicine under the auspices of Partnerships in International Medical Education (PRIME) with the hope of a reawakening of compassion and the need to care for the whole man among UCTH staff.”
Topics covered:
Compassion in healthcare - is it important?
How can we teach whole person medicine?
Spiritual care
Femi addresses the group
It was one of the most attended hospital
seminars ever, attracting participants
even from outside Calabar Metropolis.
Professor Tony Udosen could not hide his joy for the program. He decried the state of corruption
among hospital staff and declared, “Today is the day I have long waited for to address the hospital staff on
the need to do the right”.
After an exhortation, Prof. Udosen, appealed to the audience to have a change
of heart, for that is the basis on which whole
person medicine can be practiced.
Dr E.N. Nsan, the former Minister of health was very excited as he told
PRIME to come again and again and again.
And this is some of the feedback…
‘One of the most attended hospital seminars ever’
Dr Femi Olowookere, in-country partner and PRIME tutor, also delivered a seminar at the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Nigeria
Dr Edet Attih, a former Commissioner for health in Akwa Ibom State said he had to cancel a previous appointment slated for the same time as the Whole Person Medicine seminar and confessed that he has benefitted immensely. He further stated that
many more patients are seen at the primary and secondary level healthcare facilities and thus made a Macedonian call for the message of whole person medicine to be transmitted down to
them as well.
Professor Emmanuel Ekanem noted that he had
never in the history of UCTH seminars
witnessed the kind of rapt attention with which the audience listened to Dr
Olowookere as he delivered the PRIME slides.
‘If you go up the stairs today…’
If you go up the stairs today you may meet a shadowy creature hunched in the stairwell muttering, ‘Come on, come on!’
Don’t be alarmed - it’s only me stealing some-one’s wi-fi connection (actually I have their permission to use it). Where we are staying, in St Stephens Hospital Delhi, we have a single point of access to the internet by cable which fits into the laptop. There is no hospital wi-fi in our room. This causes a problem as we both need computer access to prepare for the next day’s course material. And more importantly I need the iPad to download The Times - especially the Sudokus… The internet is very slow and once contact is established it can take ages to download the paper.
The wi-fi belongs to Drs Sajatha and Bimal Charles. She’s a gynaecologist and he works for the Christian Medical Association of India. We met them last year when we first came to Delhi and they offered us the use of their wi-fi then. They have Sajatha’s mother living with them - Grannyji I call her. She’s very switched on and can remember all the internet passwords. She also takes lots of photos with her tablet. She would happily let me into their flat to sit comfortably whilst I download but I don’t like
being a bother. She has caught me on the stairs a couple of times and insisted I come in.
I also often go onto the roof which is just above their flat and take in the view whilst I wait for the download to finish. I look out over a bit of the city and can see various tower blocks and temples/mosques in the locality. I can normally tell how bad the pollution is by how much or little view there is. The other day I actually saw a building with golden minarets on that I hadn’t seen before.
It’s nice being up there - there’s normally a breeze, albeit with hot air. The noises of the street reach up with the loud hoots, just like a cruise ship about to leave port, of the heavily laden buses, their height increased half as much again by all the bales and boxes that are strapped to them. That’s normally followed by black clouds rising between the buildings from their engines. In the distance there are flocks of pigeons flying round like mini versions of the starling murmurations we have in England. The sky is full of little tissue paper kites that are jerking and darting, being flown by kids on the roof tops. It’s so warm (40C+ and 30C+ in the evening) that they only need a little breeze to get airborne. Higher still are the avian kites circling round and round on the thermals. Even they are suffering having their beaks open as they perch in the trees.
On Saturday evening we went out with our friends at a restaurant called “Barbeque Nation”.The restaurant had little charcoal braziers set in the table and lots of skewers of meet, prawns, mushrooms etc were placed there upon.
Tony and Helen Cockeram on their very own Passage to India…
“It’s nice being up there - there’s normally a breeze, albeit with hot air. The noises of the street reach up with the loud hoots, just like a cruise ship about to leave port, of the heavily laden buses, their height increased half as much again by all the bales and boxes that are strapped to them…”
The waiters also kept bringing round little potato cakes and barbequed sweet corn, chicken legs and other spicy bits. The idea was that you lowered the little flag on the table when you had had enough… of the starters!! You then went to a heavily laden table with about 10 main courses with rice, chapattis, noodles etc. We were full before we even got up there but managed to eat a spoonful or two. Puddings came next!! Typical sweet Indian sweets, as well as cake and fruit. And then they had 6 different varieties of Kulfi (Indian ice-cream) to try. Helen and I managed to share a fig one between us. It was delicious. It was nice to eat meat as we had been virtually vegetarian since we got here. Mind you the taste and variety of the vegetarian food here seems much better than back home. The place was packed with people having parties. That was made obvious after the 3 or 4th little cake with a candle being brought out and the staff singing congratulations and clapping. Think of TGIs, but Indian style. We had six or seven of those. That wasn’t the only entertainment as half-way through the evening the staff, waiters and cooks, came to the front and did synchronised Bangra dancing amongst other styles. Some of the guests came up and joined them.
We are now mid way through the course but it has been hard going today. A combination of the heat, necessary changes to the schedule and having too much to do in too little time. The doctors are knuckling down to try and get
as much done as they can and we are trying to stay one step ahead.
Unlike the UK, the doctors don’t get any study leave and have to take courses from their four week holiday allowance. The majority of the group have their own private clinics and do surgeries before and after the course. They also take calls from their patients during the course which is quite annoying but at least now they have the courtesy to leave the room when they are doing so. I expect the second half to speed by. In fact some of them will miss the last day as they need to be on duty at their hospitals. We are bringing the exam forward to make allowance for them.
We have had our registration application rejected twice by the FRRO and at 1 point we were all set to go up to Dehra Dun (260 miles away) to try and extend our previous registration. Other channels are being tried and hopefully will be sorted this week. They had better be as we are due home in one week’s time. Lots of people are trying to help and praying for our situation to be resolved. We leave it in God’s hands.
It’s now 11 pm and 38C so I’ll finish now and try to get some sleep, which is a bit tricky…
(Tony and Helen made it home safely.)
“It is cool to be old and married”
Would you like some encouragement to take a risk and build for PRIME and God’s Kingdom on any pre-existing love for those battling in healthcare situations, either abroad or in UK? Well, let me tell you the story of how it worked for me…
I have had a heart for the people of Zimbabwe since we twinned our general practice with an impoverished hospital where my sister was working during severe droughts in the early 1990s. Four years ago, with relative political stability returning to the country, and my more settled family commitments at home, my husband and I started investigating how we could be helpful there. A connection with an orphan project in the beautiful Matopos National Park, south of Bulawayo led to us teaching Emotional Logic (EL), initially to orphan bereavement counsellors but then to a much wider audience. Emotional Logic is a lifelong learning, emotional literacy tool where the emotions of loss or disappointments are turned to their useful purposes thus releasing energy to move forward.
On one of those visits I addressed the local GP lunchtime meeting about EL, and realised that ‘listening to the patient’ was not really part of the agenda here. Economic pressures meant that numbers of patients seen and drugs prescribed, were of the utmost import. Coinciding with ‘discovering’ PRIME and the way it’s ethos and teaching methods so closely matched our own, there was a pressure to ‘do something’ and so, when we discovered that an acquaintance was attempting to start a medical school in Bulawayo it seemed essential to offer PRIME teaching.
Now, three years on, we have just returned from a PRIME ‘taster’ session with the first batch of 24 third year medical students at the National University of Science and Technology. We were allocated 2 two hour slots 8 to 10am in the week before their exams… Would they come, we wondered?
Arriving at the City Campus, we were directed to the fourth floor but were informed that the lift was ‘challenged’ - take the stairs. Following a student on the second day, we found that the second lift did work, but with no door in place! We had carefully planned group work, role plays etc. and hoped to move chairs to facilitate this, but the room was too small for any furniture adjustment. The students, however, managed to make groups despite the squash.
“The teaching was an absolute delight with the students being engaged, enthusiastic and quick to learn.“
“Your mission, should you accept the challenge…”
Marian Griffiths tells the story of how it worked for her…
The teaching was an absolute delight with the students being engaged, enthusiastic and quick to learn. The interactive teaching style was new to them, but they rapidly understood what was required and became creatively humorous in their role plays. I had done some research about loss of compassion in medical students and was able to inform them that it was at their stage of training that it was usually lost. They took this very seriously and became self-reflective as shown later in the group work feedback and in their individual post-course evaluations. We pray that the values that they reflected on will stay with them.
Unfortunately, faculty members were not present in the teaching, but we forwarded the feedback to them and they
were amazed that so much could be taught in such a short time. We were invited to the faculty review meeting to give a short presentation and it seems very likely that this is the start of an ongoing partnership...
Post-it feed-back at the end of the first day had given us a morale boost as well as a prolonged fit of the giggles. One student’s reply to ‘One thing I learned today’ read ‘ I have learned that it is cool to be old and married, and still together, coz you get to travel the world and teach and inspire’. So, all you ‘old people’, it’s never too late to be ‘cool’!
“It is (still) cool to be old and married”
This was the first time I was at a PRIME conference and I had a lot of wonderful experiences at this time.
I am an oncology surgeon, and I work at a private hospital in Batumi, Georgia. I am also a member of the Christian Medical Association of Georgia, and it was there that I got information about PRIME and the conference.
I was happy to know that there are such doctors who are willing to share their experience and to teach their colleagues from other countries.
So, I was very keen to get to the conference, but financially it was impossible to cover all the expenses and therefore, to be given a bursary was a very big support for me.
At the conference I was pleased to hear my colleagues experiences of sharing knowledge and teaching in other countries. Also I enjoyed meeting so many people and colleagues from other countries.
As I am an oncologist, the most interesting part for me was the palliative care workshop, led by Dr David Butler. It was fascinating to meet people who had witnessed and been involved in the beginnings of palliative care in England and to hear
their stories. We held some discussions about the feasibility of setting up a Specialist Palliative Care Unit in my country. We have neither hospices, nor palliative care of a high standard, so there is a huge unmet need for this in Georgia.
Whilst I was at the conference, I took a decision to set up a Palliative Care Unit, and on my return, I started to organise this project. It was very helpful to have the promise of help from colleagues at the conference and from PRIME representatives.
So, as a result of our talks at the conference, we are registering a new charitable foundation and organisation called ‘Batumi Hospice’. This is due for official registration on 1st of May, 2015. Once this is complete, we will begin with a small group of nurses and doctors who will deliver care to patients in their own homes, as befits a high-quality specialist Palliative Care Unit.
I also want to say many thanks to Ros Simpson and David Butler for all their help and, in particular, for organising my visit to the hospice in Southampton. This was a very useful experience for me. And I think all the time spent with the PRIME team in England was extremely helpful for my country. Thank you!”
“I had a lot of wonderful experiences”
Temo Gogitidze from Georgia offers his thoughts on his first PRIME Annual Conference
“I look into the future with great optimism: that it is possible to change the way healthcare is taught and delivered”
Chima (Nigeria)
“My teaching skills have been enhanced tremendously”
Oluyomi (Nigeria)
“The conference gave me the opportunity to get acquainted with Christian participants from
different countries” Armen (Armenia)
“I came away from the conference with a new realisation and understanding of the need to integrate our beliefs about salvation and our
work” Mike (Kenya)
“We really felt that the staff and leadership were committed with its vision and mission”
Jorge (Uruguay)
“The emphasis on leadership and values and skills as exemplified by Christ and patterned by
the PRIME champions was very influential” Kizito (Kenya)
“Looking forward to continued communication, cooperation and collaboration”
Dhana (Nepal)
… and some more rather lovely comments from some more lovely people
PRIME’s Annual Conference has become a wonderful place for meeting and encouragement. This year we welcomed 94 participants, with14 coming from abroad.. All levels of interest in PRIME were present, from those ‘just looking’ to those already involved in PRIME’s
teaching in many different settings. We shared, learnt, listened, worked hard, laughed, interacted, had fun, networked, played and all grew from the event.
The next PRIME Annual Conference
16th - 18th March 2016King’s Park Conference Centre
Northampton UK
Interested? Either keep an eye out on the website (www.prime-international.org) under Events for further information as it becomes available, or register your interest now by emailing [email protected]
Context:Whilst completing the articles for latest edition of the e-journal Developing Mental Health with its focus on psychological first aid, editor Andrew Wilson tuned in to the news to hear of the earthquake disaster in Nepal.
In March this year he met Dr Dhana Ratna Shakya, a Nepalese psychiatrist, at the PRIME annual conference and quickly gained both affection and enormous respect for him and his work in Nepal. Hearing of the earthquakes his thoughts turned quickly to him and was relieved to hear that Dhana and his immediate family were well, although Dhana too lost extended family and his home was destroyed. Days after the quake Dr Dhana had an article published in the Kantipur National Daily titled “Let’s not forget mental health in this mega-earthquake time”.1 PRIME’s contact since then has shown him to be someone of great vision and how that might be achieved - envisioning a better future for his country and championing the cause of those with mental health concerns, despite the brokenness around him.
We need such champions and dreamers, so included is Dr Dhana’s report from Nepal - a country which needs him and many more like him every bit as much as international aid to rebuild and heal.
Another mental health group working in Nepal to tackle the immense amount of post-traumatic distress is KOSHISH, a local community mental health team with whom PRIME mental health tutors have been working closely with over the past few years giving training to their social workers and, with them, teaching church leaders.
PRIME tutor Claire Grimble is also working in Nepal with Christian ministry INF as their rehabilitation adviser travelling to remote villages to help those injured by the earthquake. INF reckon that of the many thousands injured by the earthquake at least 6000 will be in need of long term help with rehabilitation. INF’s Green Pastures Hospital in Pokhara is one of the main centres for rehab in the country.
1. Kan'pur Na'onal Daily (2/5/2015 Saturday) epaper.ekan'pur.com/kan'pur
Dhana (centre) greets John Geater, PRIME International Director, and Jo Clark, PRIME Operations Manager, at the recent PRIME Annual Conference
Nepal - and the extraordinary efforts of one man
Clare Grimble with an assistant caring for a disabled child in
Nepal
We Nepalese are reeling under one or other stressors, natural such as recent mega-quake, frequent floods, land-slides and man-made, such as unemployment, armed conflict, bandhas etc.1 The recent series of earthquakes, of 7.9 and 7.3 magnitude in 2015, have taken the lives of nearly 9000 people (at time of writing and many more might be missing from available data), and have affected almost half of the country area wide, many injured and crippled. Uncertainty and the consequences of the mega-shake have led to disturbed mental and psychological state of many Nepalese. In such current Nepalese context, mental health problems are anticipated to be higher than usual (community data is yet to be generated for this country), though sadly mental health is a low priority. Though there a is gradually increasing number of teaching hospitals in different parts of the country, mental health service is less available than required. Mental health is low on the agenda in health policy, priority and resource allocation so far in Nepal.
In such a context, Nepalese mental health will have to learn a lot from others and to make continuous attempt in service extension, academic progress and research coverage.
A Nepalese psychiatrist like me working in an academic institute3,4 of a developing nation aspires to collaborate with professional colleagues and organisations internationally such as PRIME2. In the current state of stress and crisis, Nepalese mental health professionals require generous support and assistance from their colleagues and associated organisations, like PRIME for appropriate disaster response, management and thereafter rehabilitation, not only in visible physical but also in psychological dimensions.
Now, I am dreaming for recuperating and rehabilitating Nepalese society, both visible physically outside and psychologically inside through appropriate disaster response (provision of shelter, safety, basic needs), management (problem solving, coping, health care, needful assistance, early diagnosis and treatment) and rehabilitation (earth-quake resistant residence and safety conscious structures, capacity based employment and fair facilitation of people in development activities etc.).I hope and pray my dream come true!
1. Shakya DR. Psychiatric emergencies in Nepal. Developing Mental Health, Interna'onal Journal for Mental Health Care. UK. 2008; 6(8): 5-‐7.
2. PRIME Partnerships in Interna'onal Medical Educa'on Network. www.prime-‐internaHonal.org 3. Shakya DR. Department of Psychiatry, BPKIHS And It’s Contribu'on To Mental Health Literature of Nepal. J Psychiatrists’ Associa'on of Nepal. 2014;3(1).
4. BP Koirala Ins'tute of Health Sciences (BPKIHS). bpkihs.edu/introducHon
Earthquakes and dreaming
Dr Dhana Ratna Shakya on the
situation in Nepal, still coming to terms with the earthquakes
If you would like to support Dhana’s
work financially it would be hugely appreciated.
Please send a cheque to:
℅ LOAF Project: 151 Old Roar Rd,
St Leonards on Sea TN37 7HH
Developing Mental Health e-journal
Developing Mental Health e-‐journal Following on from a PRIME Mental Health Day in the spring of 2014, PRIME agreed to host and re-‐launch the Developing Mental Health journal (DMH). When DMH ceased publica'on about five years ago as funding dried up, it had a wide readership in over 100 countries. In re-‐launching the journal we have kept a number of the former journal’s values and aims; the journal which is principally aimed at low and middle income contexts, seeks to be both excellent and accessible, and to be useful for more than just mental health trained professionals. We offer the journal in a spirit of Chris'an service.
Five years is a long 'me in technology and electronic communica'on in terms of social media, blogs, smart phones, tablets, and web access etc has become ubiquitous, extending to many lower income secngs. This democra'sa'on of informa'on and the opportunity to electronically support development of networks and community are part of the new space in which the journal is re-‐launched. Secng up DMH as an e-‐journal affords more benefit than simply more affordable print and distribu'on costs.
The first edi'on was published in April with an interview with Professor Andrew Simms who was editor of the former journal: looking back and looking forward. The second journal published in June was themed around Psychological First Aid in disaster situa'ons and includes an ar'cle from Dr Dhana Ratna Shakya, a fellow PRIME tutor, from the reality of earthquake-‐affected Nepal. Reflec'ng on this from the comfort of a stable house on stable land is both humbling and inspiring. Themes for future edi'ons include Teaching Mental Health, Restoring Dignity, and Spiritual Aspects of Mental Health Care.
As well as being a collec'on of knowledge and opinion, it is hoped in 'me to develop as a space for the journal’s readers to develop community -‐discussing, sharing, influencing, resourcing and encouraging. The editorial board are currently all PRIME tutors and the inten'on is to publish every two months -‐ ably and enthusias'cally supported by the PRIME office team! Whilst preparing the ar'cles for the first two edi'ons no'ons such as "good news for the poor", "a voice for the voiceless" and "bind the broken-‐hearted” never seem far away, and our hope is that this remains so as the journal finds its place and voice and serves.
Sign up here
developingmentalhealth DevMentalHealth developing-mental-health developingmentalhealth [email protected]
Interested in reading more?
The PRIME Network now has over 900 members in 71 countries all committed to practising and teaching whole person care. Network Members receive regular emails and information, relevant research and encouragement and we hope to ‘go live’ with our teaching resource library soon.
We now have trained teams of tutors in Australia, Kenya, Nigeria, Scandinavia and the UK... and individual tutors in over 26 other countries. Plans are developing for tutor training in China, India, Malaysia and several other countries.
Values Added materials have now been distributed to more than 95 individuals for teaching programmes in Australia, Austria, Canada, Czech Republic, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Lithuania, Nigeria, Norway, Portugal, Russia, Sri Lanka, Sweden, the UK, Ukraine, and the USA.
Highlights
Gree$ngs from PRIME Australia! Things have been going well here since John Geater spoke at the ICMDA conference in Sydney 2006 and really on the move from about 2010 when an agreement was made with PRIME Interna'onal and HealthServe Australia to facilitate the forma'on of PRIME Australia under HSA’s umbrella. HSA
is the prac'cal outreach organisa'on set up by CMDFA to enable health and development projects. From a missions perspec've it is “sokly, sokly” as Australian government rules make a clear dis'nc'on between development work and religious ac'vity. Only the former gets tax deduc'bility. These worldly polari'es need to be understood, but do not rule our hearts when we share the treasure through wholis'c ac'vi'es such as those of PRIME!
We have been busy making trips to help in GP training in India through Chris'an Medical College Vellore since 2010. There are contact trainings to be staffed in 10 loca'ons around India every four months. A team of foreign tutors is assembled to work alongside Indian counterparts. A number of UK and Australian regulars making these trips are seeing fantas'c development in the Indian faculty, such that we will do ourselves out of a job within a few years. The 10 days of training are very pressured but as the teaching load is shared, more opportuni'es to relate deeply one-‐to-‐one with trainees become possible. Over the last year Aussies have included Nancy Nicholas, Elliot Coates, Jenny Allen and Owen Lewis. Our excellent UK friends are beginning to outnumber us in the teams! A maner for prayer is the visa process that is never a sure thing. Owen Lewis’s June trip was cancelled for lack of visa at the last minute.
Trips to Papua New Guinea (PNG) have also borne fruit. While the contribu'ons to the conferences of the Ter'ary Chris'an Students’ Associa'on were appreciated, the networking opened other doors. One result is the development of hospital chaplaincy that was a strongly felt need. One of our tutors, Les White is into the third year of repeated invita'ons to conduct chaplaincy trainings. PRIME connec'ons in PNG have also been helpful in work towards the third edi'on of the Health Care Manual for community health workers that is long awaited. Strong links are developing with colleagues in China. There is huge opportunity to assist in GP training in the years to come, but we have not yet reached the point of having concrete tasks requested by our Chinese friends. Just a week ago, PRIME trainers Carolyn Russell, Sharon Darlington and Michael Burke were involved in a mee'ng arranged by Dr Boey Mee Leng with the Healthcare Chris'an Fellowship in Singapore, in the Na'onal University Hospital. There were 20 par'cipants from the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, as well as Singapore. They were medical, nursing and non-‐clinical staff at various stages in their careers. A number were already involved in teaching trips and wanted to learn about the PRIME methodology. There was interest in the proposed ac'vity in Indonesia that is being planned later in the year. We can an'cipate a growing interest in PRIME in South East Asia!
Owen Lewis [email protected]
PRIME Australia - news from friends in the land down under!
Mine was perhaps a slightly unusual first trip with PRIME as I was returning to the city I lived in from 2007-2012, to work with the two organisations that I had previously been employed by. It was personally very enjoyable and touching to return to these environments and reconnect with old colleagues. In the initial palliative care workshops I felt a little uncomfortable about giving the impression of being a visiting expert in the context of past colleagues, but it was clear to all present that Dr David Butler was leading. That was until he went rather green around the gills thanks to a 24 hour bug and myself and Andy Charley, the team leader, had to do what GPs are trained to do – some quick thinking on our feet and a change of plan to allow David to take a back seat for the rest of day one!
The majority of the audience had had very limited experience of or exposure to palliative care - with the exception of some who worked with patients in the final terminal
phases. It was great to see many quickly buying into the concepts presented, keen to explore how they might be able to introduce more open conversation and treatment planning with their patients before those difficult last days of a patient’s life – all the more difficult when no one has spoken openly with them about the path ahead. It was challenging yet in a way strangely encouraging to see these colleagues grappling through simulated consultations how to best support a patient struggling to come to terms with his/her own mortality, fears around what lies beyond death, and concerns for their family’s well-being after they have gone. In a culture where health decisions are frequently made by the wider family (and often they are more informed of the diagnosis than the patient is), there was interesting discussion around patient autonomy and its relevance in such a different context, as well as core evidence-based palliative care principles and treatment approaches that David was able to cover on day two when his colour and energy were restored.
“Small (but really important) drops in a vast ocean”
Jenny Watson on her recent return to South East Asia
Jenny and some of the primary healthcare team
David at one of the primary healthcare clinics in a poor part
of town
Can you help us…Last year PRIME teams delivered 70 separate programmes in 27 different countries across Africa, Asia, Europe and North and
South America. 79 tutors provided 200 days of teaching and training to over three thousand individuals.
This represents a significant expansion of our work, increasing our need for office staff to support the growing number of PRIME
tutors and Network members.
With the development of the Values Added programme, expanding our teaching resources available through books and electronic
media and the development of a virtual resource library to support our tutors means we need to increase our office team and to
maintain this level of activity
…to keep going forward?
Make a donation now www.prime-international.org/donation
In our time with the second organisation I had worked with we were able to see how their work had expanded over the last three years since my time there. Through charitable donations they provide heavily subsidised primary care services in clinics located in some of the poorest communities in the city, as well as providing practical and financial support to enable the poor to receive treatment or surgical interventions that were well beyond their means otherwise. Future partnerships with them are at an exploratory stage, as they look at how they could perhaps train nurses along nurse practitioner lines to work alongside their clinic doctors, especially in more remote locations in future. There remains a huge need for good quality, wholistic primary care in South East Asia, and it was a joy to see a number of my old colleagues and trainees really committed to see that happen. They are simply
small drops in a vast ocean of need at present, and we hope that as new avenues open up for well-trained family physicians in that land there may be further opportunities to support them as they seek to model and train others in an approach to medical care that embraces the social, emotional and spiritual needs that patients come to us with.
This part of the trip was especially close to my heart as the charity had supported and funded leukaemia treatment for our househelper who was diagnosed the very same day we were told to leave South East Asia at short notice. Though Sakina died a few months ago, the treatment she received gave her over two years of time with her family, including the chance to see her first granddaughter born, and it was precious to visit her family and share memories of her together – with the generous hospitality that I have come to know and love from people in this much maligned country.
Enjoying a biriyani with Jenny’s householder's family
PRIME Support Fund
The PRIME Support Fund, formed partly from PRIME general funds and partly from direct donations, is used to support healthcare professionals from low and middle income countries to run or attend PRIME courses and conferences. So far, the fund has been able to support 81 healthcare professionals from 24 countries.
Access to the fund is by application only. If you would like to make a donation to the Support Fund please visit our website to make an online donation (www.prime-international.org/donation) or contact the office for other ways to make a donation.
Please ensure all Support Fund donations are clearly marked.
Nothing could have prepared me for what happened when I went to the Middle East as the palliative care nurse on the PRIME team led by Janet (and including Tony) to give lectures in a University in April.
This was the land of Jesus. To be able to stay for a few days in these two places, was quite remarkable for me because in the background all the while was the reality that Jesus knew these places, breathed the air, walked the countryside and was even familiar with the distinctive building style.
Our teaching programme wasn't as full as usual for a PRIME schedule and as there had been some communication problems in trying to set it up, we had some time available. Scripture tells us that the Lord goes before us and this became so evident. He had bigger plans for us.
There is an urgent need for the introduction of palliative care education. It was mooted that PRIME might like to be in the forefront of facilitating such a programme. This is a considerable undertaking and before any solid plans were possible it was important that some senior doctors and nurses in the countries were consulted. As we went about our various sessions people who needed to be consulted just happened to be in those places. Each made vital suggestions including who else needed to be involved at this embryonic stage of programming. It was so smooth, it just about fell into place. It wouldn't have been possible to be available for these 'chance' meetings had our teaching programme been more full. Over the 12 days we were there no less than nine senior doctors and nurses consulted so that a draft plan could be created before we left. It was truly remarkable to witness. A secondary effect of this extended program will be the coming together of health professionals from different ethnic groups, individuals who usually wouldn't mix. A small move towards peace?
I couldn't end this short item without mentioning the wonderful hospitality that was extended to us in people's homes. Janet found the right words - “they were truly generous 'gastronomic extravaganzas' again and again. Absolutely stunning, wonderful variety, exotic flavours and course after course prepared and offered with love.”
“Course after course prepared and offered with love”
Larri Hayhurst, nurse and PRIME tutor, on her visit to the Middle East
‘Over the 12 days we were there no less than nine senior doctors and nurses consulted so that a draft plan could be created before we left. It was truly remarkable to witness.’
New(ish) to the team!
70 programmes 27 countries 79 tutors 200 days of trainingover 3,000 individual delegates
Where did we go? Albania, Armenia, Australia, Bosnia, China, Czech Republic, Ethiopia, Ghana, India, Kenya, Kosova, Malaysia, Middle East,, Mozambique, Nigeria, Papua New Guinea, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Sierra Leone, South Asia, Sweden, Uganda, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States of America
What did we do?
A glance back to PRIME in 2014 …
A huge welcome to Janet Crawford, our invaluable, amazing, indispensable, tireless new
Finance Officer!
57 programmes (so far)
Where have we been/are we going? (so far) Albania, Armenia, Ethiopia, Ghana, India, Kenya, Malaysia, Middle East, Nepal, Nigeria, Romania, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Rwanda, South Africa, South East Asia, Swaziland, Uganda, Ukraine, UK, Zimbabwe…
What have we done/are we doing?
… and a glance around PRIME in 2015 (so far…)
… and a few words from the lady herself:
“I joined the PRIME family last November as Finance Officer. My background in health was as a community pharmacist, but since taking early retirement I have been more active in my local Anglican church as Treasurer. I am also treasurer and trustee of two other local charities. When not counting money and adding up figures I enjoy music and play the flute and bass guitar (but not usually at the same time…) It is a pleasure to be working for PRIME and getting to know everyone, especially at the Annual Conference in March.”
Caring for the Vulnerable – trafficking, sexual/child abuse, prisoners/ex-offenders, refugees, disaster victims…
Friday 16th October 201510am to 4.30pm
CMF Conference Room6 Marshalsea RoadLondon SE1 1HL
PRIME is a registered charity in the UK. Registration Number: 1111521 Registered Address: Innovation Centre, Highfield Drive, St Leonards, East Sussex TN38 9UH
A child holds his grandparent's hand in Madagascar. © 2005 Nuno Lobito, Courtesy of Photoshare
This day follows on from World Mental Health Day on 10th October 2015, and is open to all tutors and other interested colleagues
A day to give us a greater understanding of their mental health needs and to examine how to equip our students, local health workers and church leaders to
work together within and alongside mental health services, especially in the developing world
PRIME Mental Health Day
Open to all tutors and other interested colleagues…
Values Added The Introduction and first two modules of the Values Added programme are well established and we are now creating the sessions to be presented module three. We
have completed ‘God, money and you’ and ‘Integrity in healthcare’ (which includes everyday ethics) and have sent them as a pilot for review; we have filmed the next two sessions, ‘Leadership’ and ‘Working in teams’; and the final topic, about managing healthcare systems, is in preparation.
As well as adding new study material we have been extending the availability of the Values Added programme. We have revised all our material to make it appropriate for a range of health professionals including the doctors in training grades for whom it was originally devised. And we are now ‘all electric’ – an on-line version of everything Values Added has been constructed and will be switched on very soon. More immediately, a YouTube Values Added channel makes the main VA video presentations freely accessible.
www.youtube.com/ValuesAdded
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With the extraordinary network of relationships that PRIME has built up over the past few years with universities, national Christian medical and nursing associations, missions and other national and international bodies, it is possible is for us to play a significant role in spreading the vision of whole person care globally. There are many people in most, if not every, country of the world who share our calling. Now is the time to bring them together into a worldwide network.
The PRIME Network is open to individuals involved in any aspect of healthcare committed to practising and teaching evidence-based medicine that includes psycho-spiritual and relational dimensions and embodies altruism and compassion. Network Members come from countries all around the world who are committed to whole person, compassionate care in their practise, example, teaching and encouragement of others. They are all also in sympathy with the teachings and example of Jesus.
Join us and help make compassionate whole person
healthcare available to all www.prime-international.org/
theprimenetwork