On January 31, the IPOS Academy held a three day training about effective communication skills in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. Eighteen participants (including physicians, nurses and psychologists) attended the training. IPOS Early Career Director, Yeva Asribabayan, developed and implemented the training program. On the first day of the training, the participants got familiar with various communication techniques and practiced their skills during the role-plays. On the second day, the training focused on building the capacity of the participants for working with difficult emotions and for the provision of bad news. On the third day, the participants got familiar with the peculiarities of the communication with paediatric patients and with the challenges of professional burnout. Furthermore, Yeva Asribabayan introduced the Balint Group model as an effective method for the prevention of burnout – which has never been done before in Kyrgyzstan. The training was initiated by First Children Hospice in Bishkek and Red Crescent Society of Kyrgyzstan, organized with a sponsorship of IPOS. It became the first event of this kind in Kyrgyzstan.

Photographed by Anna Ilyasova