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Study program inspires a doctor to train others
on treating road injuries
Raising Awareness on Traffic Safety
Photo:Timur Saidov
Dr. Bayramgeldy Kochkarov (center) participated in field visits on how to treat traffic-related injuries during his study program in Nevada.
“I learned in the United States that it is necessary to look at the whole picture,” said Dr. Bayramgeldy Kochkarov, who created a course on handling traffic injuries in Turkmenistan.
The number of traffic-related accidents and fatalities is increasing every year in Turkmenistan. Yet, until recently, this growing problem received very little attention in medical schools and health care facilities.
The lack of in-country expertise for treating traffic-related accidents prompted Dr. Bayramgeldy Kochkarov to participate in a USAID study program on traffic safety. A researcher and traumatologist at the Turkmen Research and Clinical Center for Maternal and Child Health Protection, Kochkarov said, “I want to grow professionally. I want to improve how first aid is delivered at the scene of the accident and to learn how to provide this medical care in a more timely and efficient manner.”
One of 10 specialists from Turkmenistan, Kochkarov traveled to Reno, Nevada, for a three-week internship to learn how first aid for traffic-related injuries is organized in the United States. The group participated in discussions and field visits with such organizations as the Nevada Department of Transportation and the Nevada Highway Patrol, where they studied the provision of emergency care to victims of traffic accidents. “I learned in the United States that it is necessary to look at the whole picture,” he said. “We tend to have too many doctors with narrow specializations here and forget how important it is to look at the overall health situation rather than concentrate on specific injuries.”
Using the knowledge he gained in the United States, Kochkarov developed a series of training materials and a seven-day training course for traumatologists, family doctors, and emergency doctors on treating traffic-related accidents. Upon its successful testing with doctors throughout Turkmenistan, the training course was adopted as part of the recertification and continuing education program for the country’s medical professionals.
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