International Paediatric ENT and Anaesthesia Skills Course (iPEASC)

International Paediatric ENT and Anaesthesia Skills Course (iPEASC)

The first-ever International Paediatric ENT and Anaesthesia Skills Course (iPEASC) was run at Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre (KCMC), Moshi, Tanzania in November 2019. The goal of the course is to introduce healthcare professionals to common paediatric airway and ENT scenarios and to provide practical exposure through a series of workshops.

Senior faculty on the course included Professor David Howard, Professor Mike Rothera, Dr Peter Shija, Dr Desderius Chussi, Mr Ian Lilly and Dr Philbert Mtenga.

The group was supported by Miss Lulu Ritchie and Mr Andy Lau (current and previous AGA-ENT Karl Storz Fellows), Mr Tom Hampton and Dr Aleks Kotwica (Rhinology and Laryngology Research Fund Fellows), and also Dr Kenneth Mlay and Dr Denis Katundu, then senior residents at KCMC.

The course was delivered over one day to approximately 30 doctors and nurse practitioners and covered paediatric airway skills as well as the care of critically ill children. Demand was so strong that instructors had to provide a second course for the fifteen professionals who could not attend the first.

Since then, the course has been run regularly. Our vision is to support local healthcare professionals to expand the course to other units in the region.