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Health centre

Thanks to the official humanitarian aid of the Czech Reublic it was possible to build a health centre with an outpatients´ department and bed wards, supply it with instrumentals, furniture, and medical material, and also to train basic staff. Thus, the local community is provided with basic health care. We also organize programs of medical enlightenment and prevention.

The hospital was inaugurated in January 2010. These objectives were achieved also thanks to excellent co-operation with local authorities and partner organizations and great concern of the whole local community about finding a solution to the problem of very bad access to medical care in the area.

The whole functioning of the health centre has been supported by Slovak Republic government via Slovakaid agency, whom we have been cooperating with for a long period of time and that has been providing financial means for the operating costs (buying the medicine, paying the personnel) for 6 years now.

The health centre personnel consist of four local people (two nurses, a "clinical officer", and a laboratory technician). Since September 2010 the health centre has also welcomed foreign interns- doctors and medical students from the Czech Republic and Slovakia. It presents a great opportunity for both sides to learn something new. The health centre is licensed for testing and treating tuberculosis, malaria, HIV-AIDS, and vaccinating children. Besides routine treatment and treatment of injuries, the clinic offers prenatal counselling and provides childbirth assistance and health education to prevent health problems among the local people. The health centre also provides preventive health check-ups for the children who take part in the Adoption of African children project. For the sake of prevention we also lecture our students on hygiene, first aid, sexual education and HIV.

The total number of potential patients on Rusinga Island is approximately 10, 000 (roughly 50 % of the island´s population). The health centre is able to give medical treatment to approximately 6, 000 patients per year.

What does the health centre need most at the moment?

  • laboratory equipment, ultrasound, etc.
  • laptop and external hard disk for registration of the patients
  • benches and a simple shelter in the garden for waiting patients
  • financial contribution to the research of schistosomiasis and prevention in the area of Rusinga Island