Successful healthcare partnerships produce excellent results at IPPC/IPPNC graduation ceremony
14 March 2017 - Australian Embassy, Harare
The International post graduate paediatric certificate (IPPC) and international postgraduate paediatric nurse certificate (IPPNC) has just celebrated its third graduation at the Australian embassy in Harare hosted by Ambassador Suzanne McCourt. Also attending were Professor Kathryn Currow and Dr Phillip Britton from The Westmead Children’s Hospital, University of Sydney which partly funds the program. The Australian IPPC program in Zimbabwe initially received Australian Government funding in 2014, through UNICEF.
There have been over 103 graduates during the three years the course has been running. The pass rate of doctors and nurses in Zimbabwe has been extraordinary. The marks reflected in the nursing results were not only excellent, they were the highest in the world. Zimbabwe has set the benchmark for this course outside Australia. Sydney University has been impressed by the commitment and dedication shown by the nurses and doctors in helping the health and wellbeing of the children and young people of Zimbabwe. The program has been extended to incorporate Parirenyatwa as an additional training site.
Professor Kathryn Currow said “the commitment demonstrated in providing a forum for education and the personal dedication to study, has improved doctors and nurses knowledge and skills to help the precious children of Zimbabwe attain the best health possible. It has been very inspiring to meet the participants, graduates and tutors and hear them talk about the hope that it has bought by the collaboration that has occurred between the Sydney Children’s Hospital network and the Sydney Medical School of the university in bringing IPPC and IPPNC to Zimbabwe. Thanks must go to Mrs Angela Neuhaus who introduced the program to Zimbabwe and gave it such a sound foundation here.
Ambassador McCourt said that the IPPC program should be very proud of the innovative and high quality of the program as it is rolled out across the world
Graduates attending the course say they now have the utmost confidence in applying their skills and putting them into practice. Sister Madzivanyika from Chitungwiza hospital thinks the course is essential for the special needs required for children and would like to see more nurses applying so that the whole of Zimbabwe benefits from specialist paediatric care. Nurses have a tougher time securing a place as there are about 60 on a waiting list making the 15 available places this year, extremely competitive.
