On Monday, September 22, at the Catholic University of Mozambique (UCM) in Beira, we inaugurated the new Skill Lab facilities, and also welcomed a visit from the Rector, Father Filipe Sungo.
The newly opened training lab is an advanced space equipped with state-of-the-art tools designed to enhance knowledge and strengthen the skills and competencies of future Mozambican doctors.
The lab includes four classrooms, each tailored to a different training level, equipped with fifteen tablets and a wide range of teaching resources to combine theoretical knowledge with practical training. Inside, students can access next-generation ultrasound machines and advanced mannequins to practice ultrasound examinations, nursing procedures, stoma management and drainage, and assessment of neonatal fontanells. Thanks to dedicated software, students will also have access to a broad selection of teaching materials from the School of Medicine at the University of Padua, including lectures, in-depth resources, and manuals.
“With this equipment, it will be possible to strengthen practical training, promote scientific research, and expand community engagement,” said UCM Rector Father Filipe Sungo. “Students, lecturers, and the wider community will all benefit from this major step forward, which brings us closer to international standards. For the Catholic University of Mozambique, this donation is proof that education can transform lives when supported by the generosity and vision of sister institutions. By standing with us, CUAMM helps us make our Faculty of Health Sciences a reference point at national, regional, and international levels.”
Adding to the training opportunities, a virtual anatomy lab—accessible from any device through a proven program—will allow students to learn and study anatomy through immersive and innovative practices.
“Today, highly advanced technologies are available. We have mannequins that enable highly realistic simulation of human features. This is what inspired the creation of the Skill Lab: to combine theoretical teaching with practical exercises,” said Dr. Stefano Merigliano, Professor Emeritus of Surgery at the University of Padua and CUAMM volunteer. He concluded: “We do this to fulfill the first mission of a doctor: training another doctor.”
Training is indeed the cornerstone and guiding principle of this project, made possible thanks to the support of Fondazione Cariparo, together with the Associazione Amici dell’Università di Padova and Confindustria Veneto Est. Training future doctors but also nurses, whose role—often undervalued—is in fact central to healthcare services. This marks a continuation of CUAMM’s long-standing commitment together with the Catholic University of Beira.
“The Skill Lab project, by strengthening the quality of teaching and expanding the range of training opportunities, aims to initiate a long-term process. It is therefore not intended to provide healthcare services, but to strengthen capacity through education,” said Francesco Segala, CUAMM doctor and liaison with UCM.
