During the State visit to Ireland by President Guebuza of Mozambique in June, a Statement of Intent was signed between the HSE (Quality and Patient Safety Division) and the Government of Mozambique agreeing to explore options for collaborating to strengthen the health system in Mozambique and to consider how the Irish health services may learn from Mozambique’s experience. The intended focus of the collaboration is in the area of service quality and patient safety.
In follow up to this agreement, a team of senior health officials from Mozambique visited Ireland from 22-27 September.
1. Dr Martinho Dgedge, General Health Inspector
2. Dr Celia Goncalves, Director for Planning and Cooperation
3. Dr Hilario Ussene Isse, Director of Medical Services
4. Dr Joao Fumane, General Director of Maputo Central Hospital
The team are pictured below with Nadine Ferris France, COO ESTHER Ireland, David Weakliam, HSE and ESTHER Ireland, Jonas Chambule, Health Programme Advisor Irish Aid and Dr.Margaret Fitzgerald, Director of Public Health Dublin Mid-Leinster.
The purpose of the visit was to develop the relationship between key people from both sides and to identify specific areas for advancing collaboration. A range of topics were explored during the visit, including: infection control, prevention of hospital infection, hospital twinning, and training of clinical staff, service planning, pressure ulcers, and microbiology laboratories.
Representatives of ESTHER Ireland met with this team to introduce to them the concept of ESTHER and dynamic partnerships between institutions. This idea sparked interest in the team and it is the hope of Esther Ireland that this will signify the beginning of new and rewarding partnerships between Mozambique and Ireland. It is hoped that there will be new partnerships between Beaumont Hospital, Dublin and Central Hospital of Maputo as well as the medical training colleges of Ireland and Mozambique.
Pictured below, the team meeting in the Royal College of Surgeons Ireland. (Left to Right)
Mr Eunan Friel (MD Department of Surgical Affairs), Ms Avril Hutch (Assistant Programme Director, RCSI/COSECSA Collaboration Programme), Dr Hilario Ussene Isse (Director of Medical Services), Joao Fumane (General Director of Maputo Central Hospital), Dr Celia Goncalves (Director for Planning and Cooperation), Dr Martinho Dgedge (General Health Inspector), Jonas Chambule (Health Programme Advisor Irish Aid), David Weakliam (HSE and ESTHER Ireland) and Mr. Eric O’Flynn (Programme Manager RCSI/COSECSA Collaboration Programme).
