COOPERATION WITH POLISH MEDICAL MISSION

Since 2017 Polish aid through Polish Medical Mission has been supporting St. Walburg’s Hospital. In 2017 they financed the reconstruction of an old ward into a hostel, so the hospital was able to receive interns and experts to capacitate health facilities of Lindi and Mtwara region and to improve health care delivery in our own hospital. Also Polish Aid funded a doctors seminar for doctors working in health facilities and they supported a trauma project to increase accessibility for patients in need for treatment.

In 2018 the cooperation continued, this time trough the NGO Polish Medical Mission as a project with the goal of improving the quality of surgical treatment and mother and child care in the regions of Lindi and Mtwara. The contribution of funds was to construct a new building to host the minor theatre and three doctor’s examination rooms. In this way minor theatre could be extended and having more space and equipment health care delivery could be extended and health outcome for our patients was improved.

Also the Major Theatre was renovated and refitted to improve the department. Furthermore seminars for both nurses and doctors where organized to improve skills and knowledge of surrounding facilities and 12 nurses were invited for a one-month training ship in the hospital. Also internships were available for surgical doctors to be trained by our specialist and experienced surgeons. Last but not least within this project of 2018 there were funds to purchase medical equipment, to strengthen both the surgical as the mother and child departments. The total funds of this project were almost ninety thousand Euro

In 2019 a new project was started, with the same goal of improving quality of surgical treatment and mother and child care. Elements of the project of 2018 – like offering internships and seminars and purchasing of medical equipment – continued, but also new activities were developed. The most influencing one was the establishment of a Memorandum of Understanding with Muhimbili Orthopedic Institute Dar es Salaam.

The funds labeled for this activity made the hospital being able to invite orthopedic surgeons to our hospital, increasing accessibility for local population to orthopedic treatment. A lot of operations were done by this orthopedic surgeons and a lot of people were treated, without the trouble and costs of having to go to Dar es Salaam.

Also the labour ward was renovated and combined with the – also renovated and extended - NICU department, according to government guidelines. In this project there was also room for activities for the local Nursing School, by improving and repairing buildings and equipment for teachers and students. The total funds within this project were almost hundred thousand Euro.

The current project of 2020 is a continuation of the project of 2019, with a lot of the above described activities. Seminars, internship and – very important – the MoU with Muhumbili continued. Because there was no need of new buildings as they were already improved in earlier years, even more funds were available to purchase medical equipment and materials. Also Nursing School was supported once again with a new building to house their teachers. A two-day seminar for NICU nurses was conducted, as was a seminar for Surgical doctors. Due to corona the hospital expenses grew suddenly, and PMM stepped in to support us through this project. The funds for this year reaching almost 134.000 USD, so a lot of things can be achieved and a lot of people can be given a better health care outcome thanks to Polish Medical Mission.