November 26, 2022 — A five-day training for military and police medical officers serving under the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) has ended in Mogadishu, with the officers expected to be more efficient in medical logistics planning and operations.
The training organised by the British Forces in Somalia was aimed at supporting ATMIS medical officers and planners to effectively perform their roles in the newly established Joint Logistics Operations Bases (JLOBs) across the sectors.
It also forms part of the support to ATMIS to decentralise the delegation of authority at all levels within the newly proposed ATMIS Logistics Support Concept.
“As the mission moves into the second phase of its Concept of Operations (CONOPS), there will be more mobile operations. During this period, we anticipate a significant increase in battle-related incidents resulting from IEDs, indirect fire, and military offensive activities. Therefore seamless operations by all of our medical officers is of utmost importance”, said Col Talieu Michael Brima, ATMIS Chief Military Personnel and Administrative Officer.
Col. Brima tasked the participants to use the newly acquired skills from the workshop to serve the mission diligently.
“You will be provided with new roles in the soon-to-be-established Joint Logistics Operation Bases (JLOBs). This is still a work in progress with Jowhar and Baidoa having been identified as the two pilot locations for now, while the rest of the sectors would be established with time,” Col. Brima explained.
On the opening day of the training, ATMIS Force Medical Officer, Lt. Col Dr.Joseph Gwande, provided an overview of ATMIS Medical Capability while welcoming the 19 participants from various ATMIS Troop and Police Contributing Countries (T/PCCs).
Oriented on the aspects of operational patient care pathway, medical planning and logistics in the deployed environment, the training benefitted diverse groups of officers drawn from all the ATMIS contingents, including the nurses, pharmacists, logisticians, and laboratory technicians.
“The training has enlightened us on how we can place orders and meet the demands from our troops in the sectors while effectively supporting quality healthcare delivery together with the United Nations Support Office in Somalia-Integrated Medical Office (UNSOS-IMO),” said Cpt. Dr. Emma Oketcho, a pharmacist at Level Two Hospital in Sector One.
The facilitators included officials from UNSOS-IMO, ATMIS, Safelane British and United States forces based in Somalia.