CURE Children’s Hospital of Ethiopia has officially become a member of the Clinical Movement Analysis Society (CMAS) of the UK and Ireland. This remarkable achievement comes after a year-and-a-half of dedicated work by the CURE Ethiopia Gait Lab staff, striving to meet the rigorous standards set by this society.
What is CMAS?
CMAS is the Clinical Movement Analysis Society of the UK and Ireland. It was formed to encourage professional interaction, develop and monitor operational standards and training, and stimulate and advance scientific knowledge in clinical motion analysis.
While this prestigious body typically only accredits labs within the UK and Ireland, an exception was made for CURE Ethiopia’s Gait Lab due to its partnership with the Oxford University Gait Lab.
Journey to Membership
For CURE Ethiopia, the year-and-a-half journey to becoming a CMAS member was no easy task. “The gait lab needed to pass a fairly rigorous audit process. We had been working hard at getting everything ready for this,” explained Dr. Julie Stebbins, Clinical Scientist and Operational Lead for Oxford Gait Laboratory. Dr. Julie was pivotal in establishing CURE Ethiopia’s gait lab in 2019 and has continued to support CURE Ethiopia’s journey to CMAS membership this year. From staff training on data collection and analysis to standardization of clinical examination, several tests had to be performed to ensure repeatability and consistency in the final interpretation of results.
Eventually, all these efforts helped CURE Ethiopia be recognized as a member of an organization that is the governing and accreditation body in the UK and Ireland. “We are now like a branch in a big tree and not a small independent plant that does what it wants. This means we follow the operations of the gait lab, check the quality, and push ourselves to keep up the standard of care,” shared Dr. Tewodros Tilahun, Orthopedic Surgeon and Gait Lab Manager at CURE Ethiopia.
Significance for CURE Ethiopia
At its heart, this achievement is about improving care for children. The rigorous standards upheld by CMAS push CURE Ethiopia to maintain excellence in its gait lab operations, which translates into better treatment outcomes for vulnerable children with disabilities. Moreover, the possibility of receiving additional equipment or support from sister laboratories enhances the lab’s capabilities, benefiting the children who rely on its services.
Learn more about how CURE Ethiopia is pushing the bounds of what is possible in pediatric surgical care in Ethiopia.
About the CURE Children’s Hospital of Ethiopia
Established in 2008, CURE Ethiopia performs over 2,500 life-changing reconstructive and orthopedic surgeries every year for children suffering from treatable disabilities. Strategically located in the capital city of Addis Ababa, the teaching hospital has 70 beds and four operating rooms. CURE International uses this facility to multiply its efforts by partnering with The College of Surgeons of East, Central, and Southern Africa (COSECSA) to serve as a regional learning institution by implementing an orthopedic pediatric training program at the residency and fellowship levels. In addition to world-class clinical service, CURE Ethiopia ministers to the emotional and spiritual needs of patients and their communities.
