Doctors Strike in Kenya

Doctors in Kenya were on strike for part of September and October in objection to the condition of public hospitals and health care throughout the country. This protest also seems to be a response to a lack of reforms instituted by the government, reforms that were promised due to a similar protest last year. Of the 2,000 striking doctors, the Kenyan government fired half, even though the country already faces a shortage of doctors.

The stakes for the strike are high- since the beginning of the strike at least two patients have died. Meanwhile, the striking doctors spoke out about their patients dying in the hospital due to a lack of supplies needed to provide proper care for them. ‘“It is a pity for someone to survive an accident but die in hospital because there is no blood, no Intensive Care Unit, no cervical collar, no splints and now no doctor,”’ stated Dr. Allan Kochi of the Nyeri Provincial Hospital in Central Kenya.

Dr. Fredrick Oluga, spoke about removing the placenta from a woman after she had just given birth. The hospital in Western Kenya had no electricity and the standby generator did not have fuel. The hospital was also lacking the gynecological gloves for the procedure. ‘"The patient was bleeding profusely and I had to act quickly so the nurse pointed light from her phone for me to conduct the procedure,"’ Oluga said. According to Dr. Oluga, he has already had to use a cell phone’s light to perform a procedure and this is a frequent occurrence throughout the country.

The strike is asking the government to spend more money on health care and to hire more health care workers. Kenya currently has one doctor for every 6,250 people, which falls greatly behind international standards. The standards for health care set by World Health Organization call for 1 doctor to every 100 people.

According to All Africa.com the Kenyan doctors ended their three-week strike in the first week of October after the government committed to address the complaints raised by the protesters. Here’s to hoping the situation and healthcare in Kenya improves.

Check out the original articles here: http://health.usnews.com/health-news/news/articles/2012/10/03/kenyas-doctors-protest-poor-state-of-health-care

http://allafrica.com/stories/201210050485.html

Sign Up for iGive and Help Support MedPLUS!

Ever heard of iGive? Its free to join and earns money for MedPLUS Connect every time you search or shop on the internet! Registering on our behalf can make a significant impact – like helping us send life-saving equipment or raise funds for the nutrition and rehabilitation center. Just by shopping at online stores such as BestBuy, Amazon, Staples (and many more), a portion of your purchase is donated to MedPLUS Connect.

Thanks to our supporters using iGive, we have raised an average of almost $10 a month! This allows us to purchase ten full boxes of exam gloves for our recipients. Help us earn even more!

Follow this link to check it out: http://www.igive.com/medplusconnect

Ghana Nutrition Survey Releases Results

In relation to an earlier post about improving child health care in Ghana, the Ghana Health Service has recently revealed the results of a survey they conducted on child nutrition. The Ghana Health Services, in partnership with USAID and the United Nations, conducted this survey in 2011. One of the results of the survey was the distressing statistic that 12,000 children in Ghana die each year because they are underweight.

The survey also projected that approximately 97,000 children would die between 2011 and 2020 due to stunting. Stunted growth is the result of malnourishment, either from not getting enough food or not getting a balanced diet, and children are especially vulnerable during their first two years of life.

In addition to causing stunting, under-nutrition also impairs children’s immune systems, making them at greater risk for other infections, illness, and death. According to the study, under-nutrition was related to half of all child deaths after early infancy. The Deputy Director of Nutrition at the Ghana Health Service, Mrs. Wilhemina Okwabi, stated that 8 in 10 children in Ghana experienced some form of under-nutrition.

The disheartening results of this survey are a testament to why the Lawra Nutrition Center is so important. Keep watching for more updates on the progress of the construction.

Ghanian Children to Receive More Vaccines

The Ministry of Health in Ghana has introduced two vaccines to the national immunization program. The two new vaccines are the pneumococcal and rotavirus vaccines, which are preventative against pneumonia and diarrhea, respectively.

According to Dr Kwadwo Odei Antwi-Agyei, the Program Manager of the National Expanded Program on Immunization, “this represents an important advancement for public health in Ghana because children under five…are the most vulnerable to the disease.”

Dr Antwi-Agyei also explained why these two vaccines in particular are so important for children. Rotavirus is responsible for over 400,000 deaths in children under five each year and 1.4 million children under five die from pneumococcal diseases worldwide. Particularly in Ghana, diarrheal diseases rank among the top three causes of death in children under five.

The vaccines have been donated to Ghana by an international nonprofit and are a great step forward in reducing childhood mortality.

See the article here: http://www.moh-ghana.org/otherpages.aspx?id=3

UNICEF holds Stakeholders Meeting on Accelerating Newborn Healthcare in Ghana

Neonatal deaths (deaths that occur in infants during the first four weeks of life) have been shown to account for almost 50% of all deaths in children under five in Ghana. UNICEF therefore held a two-day meeting in conjunction with the Ghana Health Service (GHS) to discuss methods of improving newborn healthcare and decreasing neonatal deaths in Ghana. By improving neonatal care, the country will also be working towards achieving Millenium Development Goal #4: reducing childhood mortality.

According to UNICEF and Dr. Isabella Sagoe-Moses, the National Child Health Coordinator with the GHS, 70-80% of neonatal deaths in Ghana could be prevented through known, effective, and relatively simple interventions. However, Dr. Sagoe-Moses also illustrated why these interventions, though simple, are difficult to carry out. Obstacles to providing better healthcare include “major bottle necks, such as persistent practices in harmful socio-cultural beliefs and practices, poor road networks, water and sanitation and other socio-economic factors.” She also cites a “lack of improvement in maternal health” as another complication to preventing neonatal deaths.

Addressing these obstacles calls for action on the part of major stakeholders in the health sector and changes beyond that of the family level. Among the proposed solutions were strengthening “national leadership and partnerships of key actors, as well as the implementation of a National Newborn Health Strategy and action plan.” Other solutions included empowering women to make reproductive health decisions and improving human resources, supplies, and the referral system. While Ghana has a long way to go to decrease child mortality by 2015, this meeting brought together key stakeholders and actors in the healthcare sector for a discussion on ways to achieve this goal.

Here is the link to the article if you want to read more: http://www.ghananewsagency.org/details/Health/UNICEF-holds-stakeholders-meeting-on-accelerating-newborn-health-care-in-Ghana/?ci=1&ai=46157#.UE1SXGidIlJ

Update on the Nutrition Center

  Our In Country Director Ackom recently traveled to Lawra with members of the Tamale Rotary Club to check in on the construction of the Nutrition Center. We are excited to announce that the roofing and external physical construction of the center is now complete! The center is now one giant step closer to being ready to admit patients. The final stage of construction includes the ceiling, electrical work, and painting of the building. We can’t wait for the Nutrition Center to be finished in the upcoming months!

Finished roofing of the Nutrition Center

Our In Country Director Ackom (center), Dr. Sandaare of the Lawra District Hospital (left), and a member of the Tamale Rotary Club (right)

So Far

While serving as Executive Director I’ve already been a part of the arrival and distribution of 4 containers to Ghana! The Bole container is the latest arrival, but two containers for the Northern Region were recently fully distributed. There is also an Upper East Regional container that is currently being distributed to 4 hospitals and numerous health centers and clinics.

Supplies waiting for distribution

All of these containers were organized by Sonya Narla, our former Executive Director and current Board Member. We are now ready to begin organizing the next five containers we will be sending throughout this year and I’m very excited to begin this next stage in my role as Executive Director.

Bole Container Arrives in Ghana

The container for the Bole District Hospital has arrived in port! With the help of MedWish International we were able to pack this container with 18,017 pounds of hospital beds, mixed medical supplies, and equipment. This equipment included a high priority ultrasound machine, centrifuge, and autoclave. We were also able to pack this container with 10 pallets of exam gloves, which are always greatly needed. Some of the additional supplies in this container were 10 wheelchairs and 4 PET carts.

Bole is a small town and the capital of the Bole District, which is in the Northern Region of Ghana. We are very excited that this shipment has arrived in Ghana and will make its way to Bole soon!

Roofing Begins on the Nutrition Center!

The Nutrition Rehabilitation Center is one step closer to completion! Roofing, the final phase of construction, has begun and is progressing nicely. Our In Country Director will be visiting Lawra soon to see the center- when construction will hopefully be complete. In the meantime here are the latest pictures showing the roofing so far.

Initial Roofing on the Nutrition Center

New Intern Atubiga Daniel

We are excited to announce that we have a new intern! Atubiga Daniel is a medical student in Ghana who will be helping us do follow up on shipments in the Upper East Region this year. Our Executive Director, Anna, and Board Member, Sonya, were able to meet with Daniel in Wa this summer where he showed great enthusiasm for MedPLUS. We are excited for him to join our team!

Atubiga Daniel

Northern Regional Shipment Distributed!

We are excited to announce that our northern regional shipment has now been fully distributed! This shipment was a dual container that totaled over 30,000 pounds of medical equipment! Included in the two containers were 45 hospital beds, 20 wheelchairs, 10 nebulizers, 8 exam tables, 2 oxygen concentrators, and 2 ultrasound machines.

Supplies and equipment at the Northern Medical Stores before being distributed

This equipment, among additional vital supplies such as exam gloves and other consumables, has now been distributed to 6 hospitals, 3 polyclinics, and 1 health center throughout the region. We are grateful to our partners MedWish and Missionary Expediters for all of their help in enabling a shipment of two containers at once, which allowed these supplies to be widely dispersed and benefit a variety of health providing organizations.

Taking on the Giant Interviews MedPLUS Co-Founder Lauren Slive

Taking on the Giant is a "blog to acquaint young people with the dream that they too can change the world." Taking on the Giant recently interviewed Lauren Slive, a MedPLUS Connect Co-Founder. The post and a link to her interview are pasted below. To read more stories on Taking on the Giant, please visit: http://www.takingonthegiant.com/

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Posted on July 18, 2012 by Chris Landers

Lauren Slive: Changing Health Care in Africa, One Suitcase at a Time: 

And to think, it all started with a couple of suitcases.

When Lauren Slive first began her dream to improve health care in Ghana in 2007, she was just a 19-year-old girl dragging as many supplies as she could carry through airport customs. But from those humble beginnings sprang Project HEAL, an organization connecting medical supplies and knowledge to hospitals and communities in Northwest Ghana.

The determination of Lauren and her friend, Emma Lawrence, ensured that their dream would grow. In that first summer, the group distributed 450 medical kits and informational pamphlets to families and health leaders. By the time they graduated in 2009 — with the help of over 50 volunteers along the way— Project HEAL was responsible for a children’s library, a playground and thousands of pounds of first aid materials.

But Lauren wasn’t content to stop there. She had witnessed firsthand local hospitals that were without medical gloves but were receiving expensive x-ray machines and other equipment they couldn’t use. There had to be a more efficient way to connect donated goods with the places that needed them the most, and so Lauren and Emma began MedPLUS Connect.

MedPLUS Connect works directly with hospitals in Ghana to create a list of needs, ensuring that donated medical goods go where they can really be used. Those two suitcases have become over 170,000 pounds of medical supplies, with plenty more sure to come.

Taking on the Giant recently got the chance to sit down with Lauren to discuss her time in Ghana, over coming the challenge of her parents concern and her advice to young people who dream of changing the world.

Lauren Slive Video Interview

Welcome to the Board of Directors, Sonya!

Sonya in Ghana in June

MedPLUS is very excited to announce that Sonya Narla, our Executive Director from 2011-2012, will be joining our Board of Directors! Sonya stepped down from the Executive Director position in order to attend medical school at LECOM, beginning this summer. She served an excellent term as Executive Director and became very passionate about MedPLUS Connect’s mission to connect underserved health systems in developing countries with recovered and donated medical supplies. For this reason, we are very excited that she will continue her work with MedPLUS as a member of the board.

Back to the US

Very soon I’ll be on my way to the airport to check in for my flight back to the US. I have several layovers but will be back home on Wednesday, just in time to celebrate July 4th. Reflecting back on my training in Ghana, I can’t believe it’s been a full month that I’ve been here. It has been a great trip, with several wonderful site visits, new contacts and partnerships formed, and of course, just great time spent in Ghana. I’m very excited to be back in the US soon to officially start my term as the Executive Director of MedPLUS Connect for the 2012-2013 year. I think its going to be a fantastic year for our organization in terms of growth, further progress on the Lawra Nutrition Center, and the five containers we are scheduled to send.

My Week in Accra

On Monday, before she left for the US, Sonya and I had a great meeting with Dr. Awonoor Williams, the Regional Director for the Upper East Region. Since then I’ve been in Accra wrapping up our last meetings, following up with the sites we will be sending shipments to this year, and dodging rainstorms. I am also following up with our most recent shipments so be on the lookout for a post about that soon! While in Accra, I’ve been working hard to get prepared for my upcoming term as Executive Director. I’ve also been drinking a lot of coffee.

I’ve been lucky to have some fancy lattes and cappuccinos.

And some not so fancy, but still delicious, Nescafe.

I’ve also been eating a lot of potato chips. And by potato chips, I mean French fries. I’ve also consumed a lot of “Veggie Delight” pizzas from Pizza Inn (different from the US version but better, I think). All in all I’ve been pretty lucky in my food choices, with one exception. I ordered a latte while doing work and thought that I would indulge myself with a nice little donut- something sweet and delicious to keep me motivated. Unfortunately, my donut was neither sweet nor delicious or even donut-like. I was hoping for something covered in icing and overly sweetened; what I got was basically fluffy bread. While disappointing, my fluffy bread didn’t actually taste bad and I still managed to eat the entire thing. I might give it another try tomorrow and hope that last time was just a fluke. Or I might just wait until I’m back in the US and go to a Dunkin Donuts.

It's Definitely the Rainy Season

While we were in Tamale we had several torrential thunderstorms, once with rainfall so loud it sounded like it was hailing. It then rained while we were in Wa and during our bus ride to Accra. Although we were lucky enough to see the sun on Friday and Saturday, it began to pour again on Sunday and has been gray or raining ever since. Sunday was our first time being caught out in the rain. We had just eaten a fantastic lunch at Frankies in Osu and were halfway back when the sky opened up. The storm started slow with a gloomy gray sky during lunch, proceeded to drizzle for a few minutes, and then poured. Everything outside of our cab windows was white wi

th rain; our driver could barely see and had to stop several times on the side of the road before he was able to carry on. As we continued into the storm, no end in sight, I could see the drains overflowing, some of them so full the water was gushing out of it like a fountain. It was crazy- the most intense storm I think I’ve ever been in. And while I love a good thunderstorm, it was definitely more than a little frightening.

As our taxi turned off the main road onto the dirt road we are staying on, I was nervous about what we would find. Luckily, the road had not become too flooded or muddy to drive on and our taxi was able to make it all the way up to our gate. We ran inside, completely drenched from less than 10 seconds outside, and listened to the rain fall for what seemed like the rest of the night.

Time in Wa

Delivering the mattresses to the Lawra Nutrition Center

After an exhausting (exhausting just from sitting- ironic, I know) 16 hour bus ride we are back in Accra. We traveled to Wa from Tamale on Sunday, our vehicle loaded down with all of our baggage plus weighing scales, mattresses, and educational artwork for the Lawra Nutrition Center. While in Wa we met with Dr. Alexis, Regional Director of the Upper West at the Regional Directorate offices to discuss our upcoming shipments this year.

On Tuesday, we traveled 3 hours each way down a rough, bumpy road to Sisala West, a health center that is trying to expand to a district hospital. We received a tour of the center from Dr. Bukari, the Medical Director, and spent some time discussing the priority equipment and supplies they are in need of.

On Wednesday, we again set out for another site visit to Nadowli District Hospital. We met with Florence, the District Director, and the pharmacist at Nadowli to discuss the hospital’s needs in depth. This hospital, like Sisala West, is also in the process of expanding. They very recently completed construction on a large, new children’s ward and are now in need of equipment and supplies to fill the ward. They have also recently hired a doctor that they hope will stay on as the resident doctor, having gone for 4 months without a doctor on staff.

The new Children's Ward at Nadowli District Hospital

After finishing our meeting in Nadowli, we continued on to Lawra to deliver our supplies and check in on the construction of the Lawra Nutrition Center- it’s really exciting to see how it’s progressing! We then traveled back to Wa to prepare for our bus ride back to Accra. Little did we know it would take 4 hours longer than expected, for reasons mostly unknown, but we’ve now made it safely back and are resting up for our last bit of time here in Ghana.

Finding The Old Hospital: A Taxi Adventure

On Wednesday we went to the Regional Health Office and The Old Hospital, as you probably know from our last posts. Or at least we tried to. No taxi driver knew what we were talking about. But, true to form, told us they knew EXACTLY where we wanted to go. Please keep in mind this takes place in the small town of Tamale.

Me: Good afternoon, do you know where the Regional Health Office is? It is right past The Old Hospital.

Taxi: Hmm, oh yes, I know. Regional Health, yes. (Looks around)

Me: So you know it? It is past The Old Hospital.

Taxi: Yes. I know it. Let’s go.

Anna and I get in the car. Five minutes of driving pass. Other passengers get in.

Taxi: So, you are off to the Chief Palace now!

Me: What? No. I am not going to the Chief Palace -

Taxi: (confused) You said you wanted to the Chief Palace.

Me: (more confused) No. I want to go to the Regional Health Office. It is next to The Old Hospital. Do you know where that is?

Taxi: Yes. Let’s go.

Five more minutes pass. Other passengers get out.

Taxi: Here we are.

Me: (Looking around) Wait – wha? Where are we? This is the Tamale Teaching Hospital. This is not The Old Hospital*

*Disclaimer: The Tamale Teaching Hospital is brand new, huge, and shiny. Use your imagination, but The Old Hospital is none of those things.

Taxi: But you said you wanted to go to the Big, New, Regional Teaching Hospital.

Me: No. We did not.

Taxi: Yes you did. Why else would we be here?! Now it will be 2 cedis more.

Me: (kind of laughing/frustrated) I said The Old Hospital and you said you knew it.

Taxi: No, you said Big New Regional Teaching Hospital.

Anna: (so supportive!) No, she did not. She said the OLD hospital.

Taxi: Big New Regional Teaching Hospital.

…and this went on for the remainder of the ride until Anna and I FINALLY got to the Regional Health Office and The Old Hospital.

Next time the power goes out and we need to get creative with our entertainment, Anna and I are going to try to remember how many times we said OLD hospital versus how many times our driver said NEW hospital :-)

- Sonya

Meeting with Dr. Twumasi

Yesterday, Sonya and I had a great meeting with Dr. Twumasi, the Regional Director of the Northern Region. I had been anxiously awaiting this meeting all week to discuss the regional shipment we want to send in the upcoming year. Luckily, Dr. Twumasi was enthusiastic about meeting with us too and introduced us to Dr. Mahama, his deputy. After introductions, we spent some time talking about the medical need in the Northern Region, the most impoverished region in Ghana. We discussed the upcoming need for surgical equipment and supplies, as some health centers in the region may be receiving their first doctors. With a doctor present, these health centers can now begin performing operations, and welcome our help with supplying the necessary equipment. We learned that as many as eleven health centers may be receiving doctors this upcoming year.

On the Way to the Regional Health Directorate

Dr. Twumasi was very thankful for the shipments that MedPLUS has been able to send so far and very happy about the shipments to the region and Tamale Central Hospital that we have scheduled for this year. This past week in Tamale, and especially during our meetings with Dr. Twusami and Dr. Patrick, I have been very excited to see the area and meet the people I will be working with throughout this year. Although it is saddening to see just how much need there is for medical supplies here, I’m glad to know that we will be able to take part in improving the services the hospitals and health centers can offer to their patients.

Site Visit to Tamale Central Hospital

Today Anna and I visited Tamale Central Hospital – also called “The Old Hospital” - where we met with Medical Director Dr. Patrick to discuss sending a 40-ft container of medical supplies and equipment! Last summer Emma and I had passed Tamale Central a few times, but hadn’t seen much of it in detail. It is called The Old Hospital because though it was once designed to be the main hospital in Tamale, the Tamale Teaching Hospital sprouted up and took on that role. So after closing and years of inactivity, Tamale Central opened again in 2006 and since then has been steadily moving toward shedding the nickname “Old.” We hope to be a part of that process!

After explaining our model, goals, and equipment request list, Dr. Patrick showed us around the hospital grounds. They are building an addition onto the OPD, as well as expanding their HIV/AIDs care center, AND adding an operating theatre! Tamale Central is using all of its own funds to make these incredible changes for the community. Dr. Patrick also told us that one of their main goals was to have a functioning theatre suited for various surgical operations by the end of the year. By trying our best to send surgical supplies, exam tables, and more, perhaps we can help Dr. Patrick achieve this goal as well.

On the Way to the Regional Health Directorate

In true Ghanaian form, everyone we met at the hospital was so friendly. “Good mornings” and “You are Welcomes” filled the different rooms, wards, and even the yard outside. Medical Director Dr. Patrick is the only full-time doctor at the hospital. Sometimes he is accompanied by an assistant physician, and always has a remarkable group of nurses and a take-charge, no-nonsense matron keeping things running.

While it was wonderful to meet the ward Nurses, Matron, Pharmacist, and other staff, our hospital site visits also always serve as –at times harsh – reminders of the serious healthcare need in northern Ghana. The pediatric ward was already overcrowded due to the start of malaria season, with children and their mothers flooding into the corridor. The pediatric patient density will only continue to increase in the next few months. In last year alone, Tamale Central saw over 90,000 patients. While Dr. Patrick and the staff are taking amazing measures to accommodate the patient population – like implementing a realistic maternal health program for pregnant and new mothers – there is still a high need for additional equipment, more space, and continuous growth.

MedPLUS Connect is excited and proud to start a partnership with Tamale Central Hospital this year.

Stay tuned for blogs about funny doughnuts, meeting with the Regional Director, Anna and I carting mattresses and scales across the country, and of course, more Ghana-isms!

Sonya