Benin wants to train its future emergency physicians locally to deal with the shortage of these specialists in hospitals. The emergency doctor training course will be opened in Parakou and Cotonou with the first intake of state scholarships for 40 students.
To date, medical faculties in Benin do not train emergency physicians. This is the main cause of the “serious shortage of emergency physicians” in hospitals across the country according to press release from the Council of Ministers of March 1. Or “emergency medicine is of paramount importance in the reception and management of patients before their referral to specialized services”.
Master’s and Diploma of Specialized Studies
According to the government, “Our universities have the capacity to provide training in emergency medicine (Masters and Diploma of specialized studies). The establishment of these will make it possible to fill the current gap in qualified personnel in this branch of medicine”.
Specifically, the master’s degree in emergency medicine will be opened at the Parakou Nursing and Midwifery Training Institute “for the benefit of paramedics holding a license in nursing science and the DES in emergency medicine at the Faculty of Sciences of health in Cotonou reserved for general practitioners”. An inter-university diploma in emergency medicine will accredit its training after four semesters.
40 scholarships at the rate of 20 for master’s training and 20 others for the DES are automatically granted by the government to train the first promotion. Students will be selected by call for applications.