In St. Walburg`s Hospital in rural southern Tanzania, thousands of patients are treated every month who would otherwise have no access to healthcare. The Artemed Stiftung supports the hospital in fulfilling this important task. Every month, we receive a detailed report from the hospital management about the activities and development of our cooperation. Here is the information for the month of May.

Patient numbers:

	January 2022	February 2022	March 2022	April 2022	May 2022
OPD	8395	7468	8313	8977	6628
INPATIENT	768	581	679	623	551
Under-five	1514	1825	2135	2549	2374
Pregnant (ANC)	359	397	495	495	532
Theatres (Major & Minor)	378	289	346	247	343
Physiotherapy	221	300	360	250	264

 

M.A.T.E.on-site operations:

In May, the two doctors Anna Borys and Annelie Siepmann were on a medical mission on site. Their main tasks were to deal intensively with the hygiene situation on site. The focus was on the two operating theatre areas of surgery and dissection, as well as process optimization in instrument cleaning and sterilization. Weak points in hygiene were analyzed together with the local partners, measures for improvement were decided upon and in some cases implemented directly. In addition, training on cleaning, packaging sterilization and storage of instruments was carried out and recorded in writing.

From our specialist groups:

An online meeting was held for the first time with the newly founded gynecology team at Artemed Stiftung . In two very productive hours, the needs and goals for the hospital in Tanzania were discussed and measures taken.

Anna Borys and Annelie Siepmann's visit provided the hygiene team with important information about the situation on site. This provided the basis for drawing up a hygiene plan for the hospital and for defining a cooperation project (St. Walburg’s Hospital and Artemed Stiftung) with a focus on hygiene.

The technical team continued to ensure that the hospital's infrastructure remained up and running this month by providing support and assistance.

Infrastructure and acquisitions:

As of this month, a pharmacist has been permanently employed at the clinic after demonstrating excellent talent and willingness to work during a voluntary placement in recent months. His employment will significantly improve the pharmaceutical service.

An ICT officer has also been appointed who is responsible for the hospital's website and provides IT training for staff.

A BOQ (Bureau of Quarantine) has also been set up. As a result, a high volume of patients in the waiting area and in the blood collection area can be equalized, which makes it possible to work much more efficiently. The privacy of individual patients is also better guaranteed as a result.

There were further challenges to overcome during the construction work for the water supply in May, as heavy rainfall caused sand and mud to slide down the borehole to a depth of around 60 meters. The management team then decided to dig another borehole at a different location. The costs incurred as a result will thankfully be borne by the contractor. Completion is scheduled for the end of June 2022.

It is also pleasing to note that the power supply is now running almost flawlessly and the diesel-powered generator hardly needs to be used any more.

Community Health Project:

In the months of April and May, the project was able to examine a total of 575 children in seven villages around Nyangao. Malnutrition was diagnosed in 65 children and 12 were found to be malnourished.

435 mothers of children under the age of 5 were visited in May to inform them about healthy eating. They were also taught about growing and using regional and seasonal fruit and vegetables. During the visits, the families were also given tips on better hygiene and the sustainable use of water. This included small demonstrations on how to wash hands properly.

In May, we were also able to travel to Mnamba for the first time to inform the local population about the project and to train families in proper nutrition. A total of 67 parents and guardians were met there.

Other:

After a long wait, thanks to the help of Sr. Raphaela Händler, a program has been launched to improve prenatal care in the region. The project is primarily based on informing the population about the necessity and possibilities of prenatal care. It is expected that this will significantly reduce complications during pregnancy and birth.