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Saturday 30 August 2014

OBERABIC HEALTH CENTRE ll REPORT
AUGUST 2014

Acting Diocesan Health coordinator Paska Aciro and Project support officer Maxwell Okot recently visited and sent this update


                         Good the Team is There!
Sadness. Paska wrote, This Picture shows a mother with 
her child being treated when he was beaten by his aunt.  The mother
 did not bring the child immediately and so he stayed for
 3 days without urinating. This arises as a result  of poor education 
which makes them not realise  the importance of visiting the Health 
facility in  case of any health problems.
                                                  Education
Consultations are often delayed through ignorance but the 
Health Centre team is undertaking new education sessions
 that we that we are funding


                                                        
                                                       
SAVING LIVES
Maternity Service
Paska sent these photos (below) and said, The mother with a young child at her back, pregnant with another little one demonstrate the results of very limited health care. However, with constant sensitization (Uganda speak for health education) and abolition of Traditional Birth Attendants, mothers have realised the importance of Antenatal visits.

 
.Maternal Mortality

Is about 40 times 
higher in our area
than in the UK





 SAVING MORE LIVES
Family Planning

There is virtually none in our area leading to multiple births and large families resulting in: poor nutrition, poor education and likelihood of being orphaned. A personal and demographic disaster.

 Long term methods are organised and subsidised
 by Marie Stopes – Blue Star programme. The health
 education that we are funding will promote family planning

None of our patient’s 
pregnancies are planned”

LOCAL MIDWIFE


The Situation
In her report Paska reminded us of the population’s poverty and the Health Centre team's action to improve health care. She sent these photo's


 It’s Grim

Aaah lovely picture!  - but - Smiling faces and the quaintness of mud huts cannot hide the daily grind of living with no electricity, no nearby water, dreadful nutrition, overlarge families and often alcoholic men
 Making a Difference
Paska said, , I chatted with this lady who is very impressed with the positive things about Oberabic HC II, like the facility is easily accessible, drugs are available,, the staff are welcoming. She gets treated at low cost and she also expressed her happiness for new midwife who has made delivery very good.
(Much) More to Do
In addition, she expressed her negative feelings on the health facility, such as there is no delivery equipment There is also no Electricity and this makes it very difficult for deliveries. There are also stock outs for some essentials drugs sometimes which put patient’s lives at risk.

What you/we have provided recently
·         Oct 2013 – Vaccine Fridge- Oct 13 (Picture)
·         July. Medicines £1,200
·         July – Equipment - £200
·         August. Delivery Bed - £450. The bed in last 
      blog was procedure bed - not delivery bed.
·         August. - Repair to water bore hole -£150
·         August – Patient beds x 2 £150


SOLAR -What we need.
What is Next?
Solar Needed
The next big need is solar power for the vaccination fridge and provide light for deliveries at night.
Let’s  work together to get it.

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Tuesday 26 August 2014

WELCOME GEMMA
Blog is Back

Thank you for checking the Blog. Many apologies for the delay in postings. We are  back now and will aim to keep up to speed now we have Gemma working in the the UK.



It is Office to Office. Paska and Maxwell in Uganda (what a neat office!) in frequent contact via e-mail and phone


 
Work continues as normal - See "Normal Day at the Office" post below
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Can you Help? Can you Give?
Some Ideas on How you can help including giving money. Please click this link

Thursday 21 August 2014

TRANSFORMATION
St Philips Health Centre
Amazing Progress - Changing Lives

50 years ago both  the Roman Catholics and Anglicans opened small health Centres. Now the Roman catholic Unit has become Lacor hospital with 480 beds and three satellite units.

The Anglican unit is St Philips Health Centre which 3 years ago was struggling with the outside paint disguising the termite attacked inside. The unit was staffed by clinical officer Otika in his seventies and Nurse Assistant Christine who never had basic training. Very few patients were seen and the medical standards were poor.

Nurse Christine
St Philips Health Centre










Clinical Officer Otika


Outreach with infant immunisations and child surveillance was better.




Reforms and Finance

We introduced reforms in structure and staffing and now things are very different. Otika has retired with UK subsidised pension,  and been replaced by Diana (picture) young, experienced and dynamic Clinical Officer. In addition there is a trained nurse, new nurse assistant, laboratory assistant (picture) and a further multitask worker. The Diocesan office organised the changes and financed the initial moves. 
St Philips has now attracted funds from the British funded Northern Ugandan Health Programme, and is now massively busy - 888 new patients in January 2014 and 1173 in February. (Apologies report is so late!)

I regret the recent photos showing progress have not downloaded. However we can say that the building has been significantly improved including the erection of a new latrine block. 

Where Now?

We are proud of the part we have played in St Philip's transformation. The unit is increasingly self organised and is fully financially independent. We are willing to help when invited and although we do not agree with some of their decisions, we wish them well in further development. Maybe, they  will add maternity and inpatients in the medium term future. 
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Can you help, can you give, towards the work we do for units like St Philips?
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