AVSI UGANDA FOUNDATION DONATES ESSENTIAL MEDICAL EQUIPMENT TO HOSPITALS IN UGANDA TO IMPROVE MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTHCARE.
By Komakech Jimmy
Gulu City
AVSI Uganda Foundation, with funding from the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS), has supported twelve hospitals in Acholi and Lango subregions with some important medical equipment.
The over 1,700 pieces of medical equipment were handed over to Gulu Regional Referral Hospital, Lacor Hospital, Amuru HC III, Pabbo HC III,
Lacor HC III Opit, Kalongo Hospital, and Paimol HC III, all in Acholi subregion and Lira Regional Referral Hospital, Aber Hospital, Anyeke HC IV, Atipe HC III Pader HC III, all in Lango subregion.
Dr. Baifa Arwinyo, who manages the maternity unit at Gulu Regional Referral Hospital says that there is a large number of unwell newborns across the different hospitals in the subregion. " At our new born care unit here at Gulu regional referral hospital, we receive an average of about 40 prematurely babies admitted in the new born care unit." "Acholi sub-region has been flagged as one of the regions with high newborn death cases nationally after Kampala and Bunyoro” she stressed.
Dr. Jackie Alobo, a technical advisor for maternal healthcare at AVSI, says that Lango subregion needs assistance because of the high teenage births leading to high percentage of premature deliveries. "This donated equipment will support in detecting problems for expectant mothers and babies, for instance they have radiant warmers for babies that are born prematurely and need to be kept warm so that they survive, blood pressure machines that are used to detect high blood pressure in expectant mothers," said Dr. Alobo.
Dr. Paolo M. Gaimbelli, the Uganda Program Coordinator of the Italian Agency for Development engagement, says they chose Northern Uganda based on the ministry of health's long-standing engagement with the Italian government. "In the past, we have been supporting health sector in Uganda and I have to say that Uganda is getting more and more important equipment and was recently identified as a priority country for the cooperation" Dr. Gaimbelli remarked.
The initiative is part of a two-year, €5.5 million program to improve maternal and child healthcare in Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania respectively.
The AICS program, which is being undertaken in collaboration with the Ministries of Health of Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania aims to provide modern equipment, infrastructure enhancements, and staff training to 33 healthcare facilities across the three countries.
This collaborative project aims to reach an estimated 6.2 million individuals and contributes to attaining Sustainable Development Goals 3, (SDG 3): Ensuring healthy lifestyles and promoting well-being for all ages.
COVER PHOTO: A nurse monitoring the condition of a premature baby being supported by a radiant warmer machine at Gulu Regional Referral Hospital By Komakeck Jimmy.
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