Training course on medical management of exposure to toxic hazards

On 27 and 28 September 2013 WHO Lebanon held training sessions on the medical management of exposure to chemical, biological and nuclear hazards and the public health measures required to manage such risks.

Phase 1 of the master training was held for 35 selected national staff members from the Ministry of Public Health, from private and public hospitals and several relevant governmental and nongovernmental institutions, inlcuing the Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Environment, Armed Forces, Red Cross and the International Crescent of the Red Cross.

Participants included those working in the medical, nursing, and administrative units of all private and public hospitals, medical doctors and public health specialists serving within the surveillance teams of the Ministry of Public Health in the 25 different cazas of Lebanon, working in public or private institutions that are involved in the response to hazards.

Based on evaluation of the initial workshop the content of the training sessions were modified subsequent traing took place for health and non-health professional staff from hospitals and health centres in all provinces of Lebanon.

The training programme covering several aspects of the management of hazards included the following.

Theory

An introduction of the subject of hazards in general, an overview of IHR and the surveillance/reporting system of the Ministry.
Classification, definitions, affected sources, symptoms and diagnosis of nuclear, chemical and biological hazards.
Biosafety levels, triage and decontamination chain of chemical and biological hazards.

Practical

Management of radiological and nuclear incidents and triage and decontamination procedures.
Legal aspects of hazards in terms of the management of dead bodies and the environment.
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) presentation, demonstration and hands-on trial.
Case studies on hazard management, group discussions and presentations.

Based on this extensive experience gained by WHO Lebanon and considering the vital need to train health care providers in Syria, WHO Syria requested the support of WHO Lebanon to organize similar trainings particularly tailored for Syrian health care providers, focusing mainly on chemical and biological hazards and providing a general introduction to nuclear hazards.