Acquisition of microscopes for the training of clinical officers

Project partner

Lugala College of Health and Allied Sciences

P.O.B. 11 Malinyi via Ifakara, Tanzania

Form of organization: State-registered and accredited training college for nursing and midwifery of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania

Responsible for the project on site: Salum Onesmo Kalima, Medical Doctor (MD)

Project description

The Lugala College of Health and Allied Sciences was established in 2009 as 'Lugala School of Nursing'. Currently, the school has 107 students (49 female and 58 male). It is the only school of its kind in an area of 22 500 km² and offers especially young adults from poor family backgrounds the chance of a qualified education and to acquire a highly respected profession.

The school has steadily increased its capacity and has a well-equipped library, a computer lab with 24 i-net stations and e-learning facilities and a skill's lab (demonstration room) as well as accommodation for the students with appropriate utilities. The students manage a school garden.

The school has so far trained nurses and village health workers. In the future, "Clinical Officers" will also be trained. Clinical Officers are the first point of contact for patients in all village health centers (5,000 - 10,000 people in the catchment area), in the supra-local health centers (10,000 - 20,000 people in the catchment area) and in the rural and district hospitals (100,000 - 250,000 people in the catchment area).

The purchase of microscopes for teaching became necessary for the Clinical Officer training. The Brockmeyer Foundation has therefore provided funding for 10 high quality and robust microscopes in 2022, as well as the local fabrication of wooden boxes to store the microscopes.