Dolls that breathe, cry now used by medical students

Local Source: Netwerk24 February 27, 2015

Medical students, nurses and doctors at the University of Cape Town (UCT) in South Africa can now practice and sharpen their skills using simulation dolls that can breathe, cry, sweat, blink and even give birth.

The dolls even know when a medication is not working and they groan or close their eyes as soon as an anesthetist injects the necessary medicines into their arms.

German company Dräger has entered into a partnership with UCT to promote medical education in South Africa and Africa in general. The purpose of the Clinical Skills Center is to enable students to practice on realistic dolls and gain experience before working on real people. The center was recently modernized and opened at the Groote Schuur Hospital.

The simulation lab will sharpen the students’ skills and performance and thus save lives, according to center director Dr. Rachel Weiss. “This way of training has been used around the world for years. It is very expensive and therefore it has only now, due to the Dräger partnership, become a reality in Cape Town,” she said.

A doll costs about $20,000. All procedures on the dolls are recorded and used as training material.

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