So far - What we achieved
2004-2006 improvement midwifery rooms, department for pregnant women and gynaecological patients, and purchase means for care improvement
The foundation has started improving the midwifery departments: the delivery room, the pregnancy room and the maternity ward. For these rooms the floors were leveled and the walls painted. A contribution was made towards the construction of a new building for attending midwifery consulting hours, consultation, and information on HIV/Aids and birth control. Furthermore the foundation was able to purchase a vacuum pump, balances, a sterilizer and oxygen. Also, to assure privacy in the delivery room curtains for in between the beds have been purchased.
2006-2007 Purchase solar panels for permanent light supply
The electric supply of the hospital is a big nightmare. Because the hospital cannot afford the high costs of electricity, they are disclosed from the network and also have dept arrears with the government.
A generator is available to provide the departments with electricity, which is necessary during surgeries of course. Yet, the costs for this generator are also very high, which makes working with this generator not feasible on a long term basis.
The foundation's goal became to raise money for solar panels within one year, to provide all departments with lighting. Until then birth deliveries were executed with the light of an oil lamp. The total costs amount to € 11000,-. Beginning February 2007 the full amount was already collected!
During Steffie's visit in October/November 2007, all solar panels were installed and in service. Now all nursery departments en midwifery rooms receive sufficient electricity to be provided of light in the evenings and at night. This makes the care and nursery of patients easier and less risky. Also birth deliveries do not have to be performed with the light of oil lamp anymore, which gives more comfort and certainly less risks.
It is still a big wish of the foundation to realize permanent power supply for Kumi Hospital. This would give the hospital a large financial benefit, because the fuel prices, just like in our country, are very high. Besides the fact that a hospital should be provided of power 24/7. If there is someone among you who has tips about realizing this task, please contact Steffie Mooren.
2007-2008 Construction and furnishing new operation room for midwifery and gyneacology
The Board of Directors of the hospital and the employees of the midwifery department are well aware of their own limitations which are due to a lack of money. After the purchase of the solar panels the foundation started to collect money for a new operation room for midwifery and gynaecologic surgery.
The mother-and-child mortality rate in developing countries is very high. This is mainly to blame the poor midwifery care in the country side. Too many women give birth without support of skilled health workers. Besides this, health clinics refer the women much too late to a hospital. Kumi Hospital faces this problem as well.
A large part of those deaths are merely to blame those late references. Nevertheless it was possible to reduce the mortality rate. Yet, due to a logistic problem unneccesary deaths still occurred: until the autumn of 2008 the hospital had only 1 building with 3 operation rooms available. This building is situated just a few hundred meters from the existing midwifery rooms. When a pregnant woman had to deliver through a caesarian section, she had to be transported in a bed across the area to the midwifery room. Unnecessary and sometimes precious time got lost...time that was often a matter of life and death! Moreover, it regularly occurred that there was no operation room available at all.
In December 2007 the hospital started building the new operation room, next to the existing midwifery room. The new OR will be used for midwifery and gynaecologic surgey only. The total costs for the construction of the OR amounted to € 43.000. In September 2008 the building has been officially opened during Steffie Mooren's annual visit.
The costs for the furnishment amounted to € 25.000. The foundation applied for financial amendment with NCDO and Wilde Ganzen. Of the total amount of € 25.000 the foundation had to collect € 10.000 by itself, NCDO and Wilde Ganzen added the remaining costs.
After a successful campaign in cooperation with supermarket Albert Heijn in Swalmen, Steffie's hometown, we were able to collect the €10.000. More information about this campaign can be found on the 'News' page of this website.
With this new operation room we set foot in the right direction of reaching Millennium Goal 4 & 5 (www.un.org/millenniumgoals/). Government leaders of 189 countries have made international commitments. Those commitments include among others reducing extreme poverty, sickness and hunger worldwide. Those goals are grouped into 8 Millennium Development Goals which must be achieved in 2015.
Time saving will not only reduce the mortality rate of mothers and children, but also the risk for diseases. A good start of life, prevents diseases!
The mortality rate of mother and child in developing countries is excessively high. Because of the improvement of the midwifery care in Kumi Hospital there’s an increase in birth deliveries every year. Kumi Hospital is the only hospital in North- and East Uganda with an operation room for midwifery care which is continuously staffed by a doctor and an anesthaesist. Below you can see that the care improvements in Kumi District pay off. Something the hospital can be really proud of!
- Mortality rate women due to pregnancy and birth complications:
- Netherlands 1:10.200
- Uganda 1:20-25
- Kumi District 1:197
- Mortality rate babies (<1 year old) per 1000 live-born children:
- Netherlands 4,81 per 1000
- Uganda 124 per 1000
- Kumi District 88 per 1000
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