With a record 800 people registered for a medical training conference in Ecuador and many more listening in 21 virtual classrooms nationwide, organisers called the event a “huge success.”

Registrations for the 23rd annual Jornadas Médicas, Jan. 25-29, were so high that the majority of the seminars had standing-room only. HCJB Global’s Hospital Vozandes-Quito again hosted the event, using it to train and equip healthcare personnel in different areas of the medical profession.

This year’s conference focused on emergency medicine, featuring speakers from Ecuador, Colombia, Argentina and the U.S.

During one of the seminars people had the opportunity to listen to stories about the speakers’ experiences after disasters, including earthquakes in Haiti and Pakistan, the tsunami in Indonesia and volcanic eruptions in Ecuador.

Break-out sessions offered demonstrations and hands-on activities as attendees learned about topics such as toxicology and overdoses, pediatric emergencies, spirituality and medicine, how to present disturbing news to patients, ultrasounds, life support and triage in disasters.

While the conference focused on training medical professionals in Ecuador, its primary purpose was to demonstrate how the Christian faith can be incorporated into the practice of medicine. The Christian seminar leaders were asked to share their personal testimonies during their talks, and the gospel was presented in an academic medical setting—explaining to attendees how everything can be related to Christ.

“What we can do [on our own] is nothing, recognizing the cross as the only way to reconcile oneself to God,” said Dr. Larry Stack from Vanderbilt University during his testimony, clearly stating the underlying purpose of the conference.

Source: HCJB Global (written by Rachel Baker)