KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital (KKH) now makes new simulation technology an integral part of its training programmes with the set up of the Paediatric Simulation Training Centre (PSTC) on 6 July 2007. The centre will feature advanced infant and paediatric simulators, the first to be used in Singapore.

The centre was officially opened by Prof Satkunanantham, Director, Medical Services, Ministry of Health, in conjunction with the 3rd KKH Annual Scientific Meeting.

The state-of-the-art equipment will provide new training opportunities with remarkably lifelike infant simulators. For example, they can re-enact clinical problems such as having an airway swell from an allergic reaction till it shuts.

In addition to the mannequins, PSTC also has two simulation labs where various pieces of biomedical equipment and facilities are available to mock-up any care area in the hospital.

New courses will be developed to take advantage of the simulation technology. Currently, in line with KKH’s role as a training centre for basic and advanced life support for neonates and children, PSTC’s primary focus will be resuscitation. Other courses are being developed in anaesthesia, paediatrics, and critical care, for a start.

The simulators provide the maximum education out of scarce opportunities, especially in high risk and low volume areas of paediatric acute medicine, critical care, anaesthesia and emergency medicine. With the new simulators, KKH aims to enhance medical expertise, patient safety and positive outcomes in the long-run.