Maternity Extension in Likuni , Lilongwe
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Active Africa for years collaborates with the LIKUNI hospital, supporting projects that have led to a great improvement in the quality of the service.
Women in the hospital's area of influence have gradually relied on the services it offers and have been able to appreciate the benefits of having a pregnancy and delivery controlled by health personnel and in very decent conditions. This very good news, which has reduced infant and maternal mortality during the delivery period, has led to a progressive increase in the number of admissions to this wing of the hospital. Currently, around 370 deliveries are attended per month and the facilities built in 2015 are clearly insufficient.
In order to care for all women who need health care during childbirth, the existing beds in the incubator area or in the baby nursery are being used for patients with immediate cesarean section and / or with postpartum complications, areas that should be used only for children in order to prevent infections, putting the health of mothers and children at risk.
But unfortunately, there are more shortcomings. There is no isolation area for patients who need it due to epidemics (Covid 19) or puerperal sepsis. There is also no wing to care for mothers in the last stages before delivery or Intensive Care and / or High Surveillance units for mothers and children. Currently many of the mothers who need special surveillance for underlying conditions are referred to the Kamuzu Central Hospital, with the risk of death during the journey. The high rate of HIV infection advises isolated and intensive treatment of mothers and babies in this situation.
To solve all these problems and offer optimal sanitary facilities, the hospital management asked us for help to extend the maternity ward. It is necessary to expand the infrastructure of the hospital in order to create areas to house 32 new beds for ordinary postnatal care, 3 beds in the isolation area, 7 beds in the High Dependency Unit area, 14 beds in the High Risk Unit, 5 beds in the High Risk Unit. Intensive Care, 4 beds in a private care wing and a new delivery area.
This is a major expansion project and, given its size, the hospital management has decided to divide it into different phases.
The first 2 phases are currently being built, with the support of Mango and ORDESA, and financing is being sought for the 3rd.
Purchase of medicines for the Chezi dispensary , financed by the Farmasol Fundació Barceló program
For the second year, FUNDACION BARCELO has approved the purchase of medicines for the Chezi Dispensary, Malawi.
The action is especially important these years because the incidence of Covid-19 is added to the normal lack of medicine and material means. If in our countries it has already been a difficult challenge to face, in Malawi the difficulty is extreme.
The centers lack all kinds of means to fight the virus. Health personnel do not have protective materials and Hospitals do not have the basic instruments to deal with the Pandemic.
This is why the Sisters have appealed to us to be able to buy masks and medicines and thus provide a decent service to the people in the surroundings.
Along with this, we cannot forget the normal shortage of medicines to treat all the endemic diseases in the area.
With the donation you will get:
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Fight against the effects of Covid-19
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Improve the health of those affected and also of their families
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Protect Healthcare Personnel and their families.
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Reach a greater number of patients with any pathology.
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Reach those most in need who multiply in the current circumstances. The Sisters have agreed to give medicines to the entire population that comes to the Center. If they do not have enough money to pay for it, they will still be given it because they understand that it is an exceptional situation.
New ambulance for Barsaloi dispensary
We are happy to announce that the Mission of the Teresitas Sisters of Barsaloi already has a new ambulance to attend to the people of the villages in this Samburu area.
Active Africa supported years ago the construction of the Maternity of the same town. From there many health actions are carried out such as vaccinations, urgent visits, deliveries, transfer of seriously ill patients to the regional hospital, etc. that require a strong and suitable vehicle for the environment. The Samburu region is especially arid, with impossible roads and very difficult driving. The villages are very isolated because the population lives mainly on livestock and they go from one place to another looking for water and food for the animals. The ambulance is a useful and necessary commodity that saves many lives.
Thanks to the union of several donors, this is now a reality. The union of Miva, Mango ,AFRICA DIGNA and Active Africa has made it possible.
Support program for the AIDS patients of Kaggwa Parish:
Since 2006, our association collaborates in the maintenance of the special attention program for AIDS patients (Kaggwa Community Home Based Care) that takes place in the parish of Kaggwa, Lilongwe. The objectives of this program have been to improve the quality of life of AIDS patients group and their closest family , to stop to increase the number of AIDS patients through training and prevention and also, to achieve the patients social reintegration. The activities that are developed annually in order to support the AIDS patients groups are designed to take care of their health and nutrition and offer them the tools necessary to lead a dignified life.
Purchase of an Electric Generator for the Likuni Hospital
The Likuni hospital was founded in 1940. Currently, the hospital serves either 80,000 patients per year in its own facilities or through the eleven mobile clinics.
Sister Lungu wants to ensure that the most needy have access to appropriate health care. Likewise, she wishes to improve both the quality of the attention provided and the statistics of said attention. During 2016, the reconstruction and equipment of the maternity wing has been her priority, in order to increase control in the stage of pregnancy and delivery, thus ensuring a greater survival of newborns
However, the hospital continues to have significant shortcomings.
From one hand, Malawi suffers from a chronic power shortage. The power cuts are constant and lasting, which affects especially certain areas of the hospital. As it is a very large center, it is very difficult and expensive to install solar panels and there are areas of it whose equipment is not sustainable with this alternative energy.
On our last trip, Sister Lungu confirmed that the purchase of an Electric generator that kept the supply in the most vulnerable areas of the hospital (operating room and laboratory) was her main priority.
Thanks to Mango, now this generator is a reality.
On the other hand, for years they have been asking for help to buy an Ambulance.
This was a very urgent need since the one they had was very old. The repairs were constant, causing serious problems in the transportation of the sick and also due to the continuous bills for their repair.
It should be borne in mind that the Hospital has a Mobile Clinics program to provide healthcare to the population not only in the Hospital but also in all the surrounding towns. In Malawi, people often do not go to health centers because they are far from their homes and because they lack the necessary money for transportation.
By ambulance, these towns are reached and the most seriously ill are taken to Lilongwe Central Hospital when the occasion requires.
Finally, in mid-2019 it was possible to buy and deliver to the Likuni Hospital.
Thanks to Mango, the generator and the ambulance are already fully operational, helping the people of Malawi.
