Neonatal resuscitation training program in Malaysia: results of the first 2 years

OBJECTIVES: To determine the number of providers and instructors trained by the initial 37 core instructors during the first 2 years following the launch of the Malaysian Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP). To identify remediable problems which interfered with the propagation of the NRP in Malaysia.

METHODOLOGY: A prospective observational study carried out over a 2-year period between 2 September 1996 to 2 September 1998. For every training course conducted, the instructors completed a NRP course report form (Form A) that documented the instructors involved in the course. For every participant who attended the course and successfully completed it, the instructors submitted a record form (Form B) that contained the name, hospital address, department, profession, place of work, language used for training and the marks obtained by the individual participant. After each course, completed forms A and B were returned to the NRP secretariat for compilation.

RESULTS: Of the 37 core instructors, 35 (94.6%) carried out training courses in their respective home states. A further 513 new instructors and 2256 providers were trained subsequently. A total of 2806 health personnel from all 13 states of Malaysia were NRP-certified during the first 2 years. However, 61.2% (n = 335) of the 550 instructors were inactive trainers, having trained less than four personnel per instructor a year. Most of the NRP-certified personnel were either doctors (32.0%) or nursing staff (64.4%). More than 60% of these worked either in the labour rooms, neonatal intensive care units or special care nurseries. At least one person from all three university hospitals and all general hospitals, 89.3% (92/103) of the district hospitals, 3.5% (73/2090) of the maternal and child health services, and 21% (46/219) of the private hospitals and maternity homes, were trained in the NRP.

CONCLUSION: Dissemination of the NRP in Malaysia during the first 2 years was very encouraging. Further efforts should be made to spread the program to private hospitals and the maternal and child health services. In view of the large number of inactive instructors, the criteria for future selection of instructors should be more stringent.