3B Scientific Donation to the Princess Christian Maternity in Sierra Leone, West Africa.

3B Scientific has donated two cutting edge spinal injection simulators to one of Sierra Leone’s busiest maternity hospitals, in an attempt to tackle the country’s elevated maternal mortality rates. Anesthetists, and other medical professionals, will use the trainers to practise spinal injections in a low-risk environment, without the need to endanger real patients. 3B Scientific is the world leader in producing didactic material for medical and patient education and scientific teaching aids.

Maternal Mortality in Sierra Leone

Sierra Leone has one of the world’s highest rates of maternal mortality at 1360 per 100,000 live births. As a comparison, developed western nations such as Greece or Finland have rates of 3 deaths per 100,000 births. The World Health Organisation has set reducing maternal mortality worldwide to under 70 per 100,000 births as one of its Sustainable Development Goals. Sub-Saharan Africa is the part of the world with the highest levels of maternal mortality, due to a wide range of factors such as lack of antenatal care or skilled care during childbirth. 3B Scientific recognises the importance of training in these situations and was proud to partner with the Princess Christian Maternity Hospital and Saving Lives Initiative to provide two state of the art trainers to train the next generation of doctors, midwives and anesthetists.

Epidural and Spinal Injection Trainers

3B Scientific produces a wide range of trainers and simulators, all designed to be used in training students and medical professionals. Unlike using real patients, simulators and trainers can be reset and the student can practise as many times as is required to hone their technique.

The Epidural and Spinal Injection Trainers, which were donated by 3B Scientific, are aimed at teaching the correct technique for epidural injections into the spinal cavity. These are most often used for labouring mothers but also for pain relief during c-section. Students can use the Trainers to examine the anatomy of the back, watch as the correct placement of the epidural is demonstrated and then practise inserting the needles themselves, as many times as is required to gain confidence and expertise – and all without any danger to a real patient. Data from the courses shows that students trained using the Epidural and Spinal Injection Trainer perform at a higher level than when students are trained in a more traditional manner. 

Saving Lives Initiatives deliver training in Sierra Leone’s only medical school and having the donation of two 3B Scientific Medical Simulation Trainers allows the charity to reach even more medical professionals in West Africa.



Why Epidural Matters

From a western perspective, epidural is seen as a pain relief measure. In other parts of the world though, administering epidural injections enables the doctors to perform a rapid c-section, potentially saving the life of both mother and baby. In cases of mothers who are suffering from pre-eclampsia, the ability to plan a c-section rather than having to deal with an emergency labor is also life-saving.

Between 1990 and 2015, maternal mortality rates worldwide dropped by 44% but around 830 women every day are still dying in childbirth. Training with these advanced 3B Scientific Epidural and Spinal Injection Trainers will help to deliver first-class training that will cut maternal mortality rates even further.