Dr. Frank Vogel, Head Physician for Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine at the Artemed Clinic Munich South, was on a voluntary assignment at St. Walburg’s Hospital in Tanzania at the end of June 2022.
He had already gained experience abroad in humanitarian missions in the past; this time, however, he was traveling with Artemed Stiftung for the first time. His mission on site was primarily to assess the intensive care unit and monitor an anesthesia project. With the help of local colleagues, he was able to quickly gain an overview of the hospital's structure and resources, and was thus able to assist in the day-to-day running of the clinic within a very short time. As an observer in the two areas, he first gained an impression of where there was potential for improvement. He was able to establish a good standard in the anesthesia department, which he attributes, among other things, to the continuous support provided for years by Artemed Stiftung and the deployment of Swedish female physicians. In contrast, he noticed a number of points in the intensive care unit that urgently needed to be overhauled and restructured.
-
- Dr. Vogel with his Tanzanian colleagues
-
- Common goals: Dr. Kasoga and Dr. Vogel
-
- Walking through the clinic
Through subsequent meetings with the hospital staff and a lively exchange with the doctors and nursing staff involved, he was able to provide targeted feedback and make suggestions for improvement. In fact, some of his suggestions were implemented directly: for example, there are now boxes in the intensive care unit in which instruments and materials are sorted according to the different areas of use (emergency medication, airway management, etc.). This small and simple change now enables a more efficient and smoother workflow during work. By working on the wards on a daily basis, he was also able to pass on various practices and tips to the staff, which were then practiced together.
Medium-term and long-term restructuring and investments were also discussed. The clear goal is to bring the current situation in the intensive care unit to a good level that meets the standards of the Tanzanian guidelines.
-
- Collaboration in the intensive care unit
-
- Help with a small patient
-
- At a joint meeting
Dr. Vogel has already achieved a lot with his stay at the clinic and sees many opportunities to achieve further progress through targeted purchases as well as training and education of those responsible on site.
