On March 17- 18, Justin Renfrow, global product manager, accompanied Hugo Patti, regional manager for Latin America, to Colombia to take part in the country’s national initiative of reducing postpartum hemorrhage (PPH). There, they hosted a hands-on session using an anatomical model to train customers in the use of the Bakri® postpartum hemorrhage balloon. The session was well-attended with over 20 physicians from the Ministry of Health and members of the Colombian Federation of Obstetrics and Gynecology Associations (FECOLSOG). Justin and Hugo also ran a second session for 30 physicians from Grupo Sanitas Colombia, a private hospital group. During the session their presentation was broadcast to viewers in Bucaramanga, Cali, Medellin, Palmeira, and six other Latin American countries including Guatemala, Peru, and Venezuela.
On March 27-28, Dr. Gus Parker travelled from North America to Quetzaltenango, Guatemala, accompanied by Mark Gobitas, sales and marketing manager for Latin America, for the 29th Central American Congress of Gynecology and Obstetrics. Dr. Parker presented on “Estimating Blood Loss and Educational Work Stations” at the congress organized by the Central American Federation of Obstetrics and Gynecology Societies (FECASOG). Hugo Patti and Justin Renfrow had previously run a practical demonstration of the placement of the Bakri at a pre-conference session. The physicians present have since arranged to send a protocol to, and run a similar demonstration in, one of the more remote regions in Guatemala. Hopefully the effort will help to raise awareness of the management of potentially life-threatening PPH.