Ethiopia / Gashena: Emanuel medium clinic project

Background:
Being one of the most pivotal projects undertaken by PBF, Gashena health project is operating in the smaller town called Gashena – a town in North Wollo, Amhara Regional State of Ethiopia.

The root back experience of providing health service to the community was initially started by three volunteers in a town called Geregera which served as a breakthrough for the lately well established Medium Clinic in Gashena. Following a minor research regarding the demand of health service in the area, the project was communicated to Dr. Peter who accepted it with full of pleasure considering its relevance to the most forgotten epidemic and transmitted diseases prone community of Gashena and its surrounding rural villages. After intense work of construction and provision of relevant materials, the clinic was officially launched as ‘Emanuel Medium Clinic’ on 27 November 2012. Since then, the clinic is providing all kind of medical service which is allowed to practise at a medium clinic level – with full financial support from PBF. Currently, Mr. Ashenafi -who initiated and brought in to realisation of the clinic – is administering the clinic assuming full responsibility of its daily function. As of its first operational commencement, the clinic runs with the sole financial and material support of PBF.
Main Objectives and Justifications
The town of Gashena – situated at the middle distance to most of the surrounding villages – was found to be a perfect site to open the clinic to render health service and save human life, especially who deserve our help, who were at risk of losing their life by communicable and non communicable diseases. Accordingly, the clinic started operating setting the following objectives: providing health education and increase the attitude of community about health, Decreasing morbidity and mortality by providing adequate, quality medical care, improving mortality rate by detecting maternal death and related complications during pregnancy through medical, surgical or obstetrical treatments.
Main Services offered to the community
Since its inauguration, the clinic is providing holistic and all inclusive medical service to the clients structuring itself in five main departments. These include OPD (outpatient department which provides quality medical treatment for patients with infectious and sexually transmitted disease; IPD (Inpatient department); Laboratory department (blood culture, BUN, blood glucose, anti body test, complete blood count, H pylori, hepatitis, stool analysis, stool culture, urine test, viral and the like tests); Ophthalmology department with various services including minor eye surgery and the Pharmacy which provides adequate drugs for the patients.
Beneficiaries of the project:
Obviously the clinic is serving as a life saving place for thousands of patients who could not afford the costs of medication and transport inconveniencies travelling long distance to get treatment in other cities – a challenge beyond their financial, physical and health situation of most patients in the area.
Internally, the clinic has also created job opportunity for ten people including Mr. Ashenafi who is in charge of managing the clinic, controlling daily activities of the clinic, stretch or make contact network of foreign and internal affairs, treat patients and participate in field to teach the community for attitudinal outlook.
Current status and effectiveness:
Since its establishment in 2012, the clinic has been improving both institutionally with its infrastructure and facility equipments as well as the quality of the service as can be evidenced from the far increasing number of beneficiaries. Taking the data for the year 2014, for example, about 2,683 patients have got a chance to get medical treatment, and 2,429 were fully cured from their sickness with no need to go for further medication in higher hospitals. Generally, the project is in a more promising stand; looking to set up a business which can be an income as guarantee of its sustainability.
Future Plan and PBF’s continuing role:
The clinic is more ambitious and determined to keep providing all kind of medical services with quality by excelling the service by employing more qualified professionals. There is also a plan to expand our service by offering new treatments like Geriatrics care, child care, extended health education and major eye surgery.
In order to make sure that the clinic ensures its ambitious plans, more and more financial and material support form PBF will be a key factor.