Training Course for the Project Counterpart in Japan 2023
The project has as its output goals the strengthening of biosafety/security and facility/equipment management systems, as well as the establishment and implementation of quality management system (QMS). As part of its activities, NMIMR staff member participate in various training programs in Ghana and Africa, while the NMIMR will also hold various training and drills to strengthen and improve quality, safety, facilities, and equipment management. For the purpose of complementing and accelerating these activities, the training for the project counterpart was conducted in Japan from July 11 to August 8, 2023.
The nine participants were selected from the Facility Management Unit and the Research Departments. In order to clarify their respective roles in advance, they were tasked to identify their current problems and to draft action plan to address those.
In the first week, after various orientations, introduction to Japan and an opening ceremony, the four-week training program in Japan began on July 13, starting with training at the National Institute of Infectious Diseases (NIID). The training program was as follows
| Week 1 | A1/A2/B “Lectures, tours and discussions on biosafety/security and facility and equipment management systems 1” (NIID) |
|---|---|
| Week 2 | A1/A2/B “Lecture and tour on QMS” (SRL) A1 “Training in operation, maintenance, and calibration of various centrifuges” (Kubota) A2/B “Lectures, tours and discussions on biosafety/security and facility and equipment management systems 2” (NIID) |
| Week 3 | A1/A2 “Training in operation, maintenance, and calibration of biosafety cabinets” (Airtech) |
| Week 4 | A1 “Training in operation, maintenance, and calibration of autoclaves and CO2 incubators” (Hirayama and Hirasawa) A2 “Training in operation, maintenance, and calibration of walled in autoclaves” (Sakura) A1/A2 “Training in maintenance of boilers” (Osaka Denki Kogyo) |
The participants were divided into three groups: equipment (A1), facilities (A2), and biosafety/security (B), to make more visiting and learning opportunities efficiently within the limited time available. The host organizations provided not only excellent lectures, but also very useful training materials and hands-on training using actual equipment, which was very helpfulfor all participants in their better understandings. On the other hand, all participants were highly energetic and sincere in their attitude toward the training, which was highly appreciated by the host organizations. After each training, the participants received a certificate of completion, and everyone, not only the participants but also the lecturers, had very nice smiles on their faces.
On the last day of the training, each participant presented their final action plan, incorporating the knowledge and skills obtained during the training into the draft prepared before coming to Japan, and left for Ghana from Narita on August 9 to implement the plan. This training course provided various insights for them, especially in the importance of maintenance and inspections. The project continues to monitor and support the progress of their action plans towards to the strengthening and improvement of safety, facilities, and equipment management at NMIMR.
