TCH 19 – BEBEDJIA HOSPITAL: THE BIRTH OF LIFE

Project Location

Chad is one of the poorest states on the African continent, where maternal and infant mortality is among the highest in the world: 1084 maternal deaths per year per 100,000 live births. The St. Joseph Hospital in Bebedjia was founded in 1992 on the initiative of the first bishop of the diocese of Doba, Mgr. Michele Russo, who, having seen the health urgency of the population of the area, asked the Congregation of the Comboni Missionary Sisters for their permanent presence to transform a small center for handicapped children into a hospital with pediatric wards, maternity, surgery and medicine. Since then, the hospital has developed both structurally and in terms of services, and the local staff has also become more numerous and more qualified.

To the initial structure, over time the Emergency Room has been added, which works when the clinics for ordinary visits are closed. We also have a laboratory to carry out some analyzes (especially for the main tropical diseases such as malaria and tuberculosis); a service to follow malnutrition, two operating rooms and an ultrasound service. Next to the hospital, clinics have been added to follow AIDS patients from all over the region and also from other areas. This service is carried out by the Sisters of a Mexican Congregation (Misioneras de Cristo Resucitado) who also reside in the hospital complex.

The Chadian government has built several hospitals and public dispensaries in the area, but unfortunately, these facilities work only partially, often they do not have medicines or reagents to assist their patients, nor syringes, gauze for a dressing, nor the possibility of making a hemoglobin or a blood transfusion in case of severe anemia. The St. Joseph Hospital covers an area that has about 167,392 inhabitants, but, given its geographical position and the quality of the services offered, it is frequented by people who come from all regions and also from other African countries such as Sudan, Central African Republic, Cameroon, Congo. People walk for days to get to the hospital. It has a capacity of 150 beds, but the actual number of hospitalized patients is often higher and we are forced to add cots and makeshift beds.

Chad is an oil country, but unfortunately oil revenues in recent years have not had a qualitative impact on people's lives, except for a few people in prominent positions. With this system our hospital, while giving a considerable service to the population, has not had any subsidy from the state in recent years. St. Joseph's Hospital has many management difficulties because it is relatively large for the context in which it is located and comes to treat many seriously ill patients with complex pathologies. No patient is sent away only because they do not have enough money to pay for the services, everyone is welcomed, regardless of their social, ethnic or religious status.

But such a large hospital in such a context of poverty cannot sustain itself solely with the contribution of the local population, and needs external help. Of course this aspect gives us many worries even if it is then compensated by the satisfactions especially in seeing seriously ill or sometimes dying people gradually regain strength, health and see them go home happy. Currently our presence in this hospital counts on one Comboni Sister nurse, two medical sisters (Sr. Elisabetta Raule and Sr. Susan Akullo Eyen referents of the project) and two sisters in charge of the Administration. All the sisters work full-time in the Hospital.

Project description

Certainly, among the most vulnerable categories of people, there are pregnant women and children. Traditionally, women prefer to give birth at home assisted by an aunt or a traditional matron. Often, they are not even followed during pregnancy and arrive at the hospital during labor or soon after because they have complications, or because they have severe malaria or severe anemias. Only when childbirth becomes seriously complicated are they taken to the hospital and so we helplessly witness the arrival of women now exhausted, anemic and with the baby already dead in the womb.

Through this project we would like to cover part of the costs for assisted birth in the maternity ward, as well as help the hospital to cover the costs related to cesarean sections and deliveries that need more care. We would also like to promote awareness among women that encourages them to give birth in hospitals. We would like to help women pay for treatment during pregnancy, if they have a fever, severe anemia that requires a transfusion, or other infections that complicate pregnancy, however, we do not leave any woman without treatment if they do not have enough money to cover the costs of drips or an urgent operation.

The high cost of material for operations is covered for less than a fifth of women. We find many difficulties to be able to buy drugs of a certain quality (other than those that are on the black market), difficulties in the monthly payment of salaries to our staff, difficulties in ensuring the maintenance of the structure, and for electricity (which must be supplied by a diesel engine or solar panels).

Objectives

Encourage mothers to follow antenatal visits and give birth in hospital.
Decrease the maternal and infant mortality rate in the area
Help the hospital to cover the expenses related to caesarean sections, normal and complicated deliveries

Beneficiaries

Direct: about 600 pregnant women and their newborns

Indirect: families and local population

Local contribution

Each surgery is covered by the family for a total of 24,000 FCFA (36.92 euros) out of 122,000 FCFA. Complicated birth: 5,000 fcfa (7.69 euros) out of 49,850 FCFA. Normal birth 2,500 fcfa (3.80 euros) on 10,000 FCFA. Severe malaria in pregnancy: patients pay only part of the treatment according to their possibilities. This treatment can cost up to 75,000 FCFA per hospitalization if the woman has to do transfusions.

Referent sisters of the project: Sr. Elisabetta Raule and Sr. Susan Akullo Eyen