15.01.2020
Into the year 2020
SolidarMed is starting the new decade with many new projects, others we are continuing. We would like to present three highlights, which we are particularly looking forward to, to you here.
A first highlight in 2020 is the mobile clinic, which will start its services in Lesotho in a few months. The robust all-terrain vehicle will bring medical aid to places where there are no roads and the journey to the nearest health centre (especially for elderly and sick people) is almost impossible. This clinic on wheels is equipped with the necessary medical instruments and medication. The intervention team consists of a driver and a registered nurse.
Operating theatre in Mozambique
Less than a year has passed since Cyclone Kenneth devastated the coastal region in northern Mozambique and flooding took away the livelihoods of farming families. We are continuing our support for these people accordingly. Even before the cyclone, the health system in Cabo Delgado was in a deplorable state. In the district of Namuno there is still no operating theatre. However, this is changing: in 2019, SolidarMed laid the foundation stone and soon life-saving operations can be carried out in Namuno as well. Women with complications during childbirth no longer have to be transferred to a remote hospital, which reduces maternal and infant mortality in the district.
Kangaroo method in Tanzania
In Tanzania we plan to build on the success of the "Kangaroo Mother Method". It is extremely simple and this is exactly where its strength lies: constant skin contact between the mother and her baby ensures that premature babies receive sufficient warmth even without incubators. In addition, the babies are consistently breastfed with breast milk, which gives them valuable antibodies. SolidarMed provided a specially equipped room to ensure the necessary rest, medical instruments and further training for the nursing staff. The mothers from the region quickly gained confidence, and the new department filled up because word got around in the district. Together with the health authority, the method is now to be applied in other clinics.
These are just three examples from the many projects we are pushing ahead with in 2020. We keep you up to date on this website and in the magazine "Focus".