Establishment of a ward for preterm babies (Kangaroo Mother Care)

Funding period 2018 - 2019 (completed)

Project partner

SolidarMed - Swiss non-profit organization for health in Africa. Tax exemption according to § 70 Abs. 1 lit. h StG and Art. 56 lit. g. DBG (Switzerland).

Form of organization: SolidarMed is an association under Swiss law. The aim of the association is the promotion of medical care in countries of the South.

Responsible for the project on site: Dr. med. Peter Hellmold

Local partners in Lugala, Malinyi District, Morogoro,Tanzania: Evangelical-Lutheran Church in Tanzania, Ulanga-Kilombero Diocese (ELCT-UKD) District Executive Director (DED)/District Medical Officer (DMO) Malinyi District.

Project Description

During the 2018/2019 grant period, Brockmeyer Foundation supported the following activities:

  1. Remodeling of existing rooms at Lugala Hospital for the establishment of a ward for mothers and newborns: the new ward consists of a room with four beds for mothers, an area for the examination of newborns and mothers, an area for the care of newborns, such as changing diapers, a room with toilets and showers.
  2. Procurement of equipment: 4 suction machines, 1 CPAP machine (Continuos Positive Airway Pressure Machine), scales, hospital beds.
  3. Training of obstetricians and nurses at Lugala Hospital in the care of newborns and preterm infants using the kangaroo method.
  4. Training of nursing assistants in the 12 village health posts in the care of newborns and preterm infants and the kangaroo method.
  5. Scientific monitoring and evaluation of the project success according to the guidelines from Tanzania and the World Health Organization (WHO).

*The Berlin Children's Advisory Board of the children's aid organization Children for a better World e.v. supported the project with 1000 Euro.

Image gallery

Rohbau des Hauptgebäudes

This was the building shell before completion.

Der Innenraum mit 4 Betten

Here you can see the main room of the preterm infant ward with four beds after completion. In the middle left there are benches and a table for mothers and nursing staff. Behind this is the intensive care room.

Eingangsbereich

This is the entrance area with a view into the corridor. The murals show mothers keeping their preterm babies warm through direct physical contact. All the painted images in this documentary are by a local artist named Azisi Mpoyoka.

Frau mit Neugeborenem

Baby Kabisi was born much too early. It weighed only 1.3 kilos. Also thanks to the kangaroo method, two months later Kabisi already weighed 2.5 kilos.

Beatmetes Baby

A little boy who does not have a name yet. But he already needed intensive care. Thanks to the neonatal intensive care unit and ventilation with the help of the CPAP machine, he was able to survive.

Absauggerät

This picture shows one of the four suction units. Two of them were placed in the preterm baby ward and one in the intensive care room.

Sauerstoffgerät

An oxygen concentrator was also purchased for the intensive care room. This is a device that can generate oxygen from the room air.

Beatmungsgerät

The "Pumani" is a respirator (a so-called CPAP device) developed at St. Elizabeth Hospital in Blantyre, Malawi. The CPAP machine supports the breathing of preterm babies whose lungs are not yet mature. Breathing problems are a common cause of death in preterm and newborn infants.