ICMM LOAC Course for medical practitioners

Report

Background
The ICMM kindly agreed that this Regional Course could be held in the RSA which then took place during the period 24 to 29 May 2009 in Pretoria.

The Course contents was based on the contents of the annual course being held in Spiez, Switzerland.

Venue
The venue chosen for the course was the St Georges hotel which proved to be the absolute ideal venue with its excellent Plenary Halls, practicalbreakaway rooms, high quality of accommodation, food and support services.

Participants
The 36 Military participants from various Military Hospitals and sickbays in the attended the Course and were divided in 4 classes for exercises after lecturers in the Plenary.

Commanders of the Course
The Course director was Lt Gen V. RAMLAKAN, the Surgeon General of the South African National Defence Force.

Major General (MD) M. MERLIN represented the ICMM in the RSA

Col Johan CROUSE of the South African Military Health Service, a service of the South African National Defence Force with his team organised the course and was also the Course Commander with Col (Prof) Hans BAER from the Swiss Armed Forces as his co- course Commander.

Lecturers/Instructors/Class leaders
The same team of Spiez were used so as to maintain the same standard of the course, namely:

1. Col Johan CROUSE, South African National Defence Force
2. Lt Col Max ZHANDT, Swiss Armed Forces
3. Lt Col Thorsten SCHAAY, German Armed Forces
4. Lt Col Sylvian FOURNIER, Canadian Armed Forces

Course evaluation
All course participants (Military Medical Personnel) were requested to evaluate individually and separately;
All Plenary lectures, all class lectures and all exercises in classrooms as well as accommodation, opening and closing ceremony.

The results were documented and an overall average mark of 87.67% (Eighty seven comma six seven percent) was obtained. All Plenary and classroom lectures obtained marks above 85%.

Lessons learned have been summarized during the final meeting of the coordinating and teaching staff and will be used to prepare the next session to be held in October 2010.

This first African Regional Session of the LOAC Course is a success and gives the proof that the concept of Spiez is exportable.

Summary
The course was very well organised and conducted in a professional manner of a high standard and indeed did the ICMM proud.