The UNDP is joining hands with the government of Sweden to support the National Center for Disease Control (NCDC) of Georgia train 4,000 health workers across the country in enhanced infection prevention and control.

With $150,000 in Swedish funding, UNDP will assist NCDC in establishing an e-learning platform to provide doctors, nurses, and administrative staff with an opportunity to attend training courses and certification programs, communicate, exchange experience, and receive practical advice from NCDC experts.

NCDC Head Amiran Gamkrelidze said ‘Georgia has managed the first wave of the pandemic well, but the crisis is far from over’.

We must spare no effort to improve public healthcare and increase the professionalism of our medical staff to ensure full preparedness for future health emergencies. Not only will this new initiative enable us to continue coping with COVID-19; it will also benefit our disease prevention and control system well beyond the current crisis”, he stated.

In Georgia, NCDC has taken a lead in educating medical personnel and staff throughout the country, drawing on the experience gained during the crisis.

UNDP Head Louisa Vinton said ‘Georgian doctors deserve respect and admiration for their professionalism and dedication during the pandemic’.

The new learning system will improve their ability to respond to health emergencies and also help close the gap between big cities and rural areas, where medical staff tend to have fewer resources”, she noted.

Head of Development Cooperation and Deputy Head of Mission at the Embassy of Sweden to Georgia, Eric Illes, also stated that Sweden is “proud to support” the Georgian government and ‘enhance public healthcare in very tangible ways that will save lives in emergencies’.

The e-learning platform will operate through desktop and mobile applications, with a built-in chatbot and search engine, allowing for real-time consultations and exchange.

source: AGENDA