health centre training day

I mentioned i my older posts that i was often surprised by the referals tat we got from the health centers, patients with pre-eclampsia sent without blood pressures ever being taken, eclamptics being sent without receiving magnesium sulphate which helps stop the fitting, patients never getting basic antenatal testing like heamoglobins or HIV tests and  patients in labour being referred far too late. 

So we decided on having a training day for the local health centers and 3 midwives attended from each center.  We taught them the importance of basic antenatal care, refreshed their knowledge on pre-eclampsia and eclampsia, the use of the partogram and neonatal resuscitation.  But more importantly we listened to their problems and what difficulties they face, lack of equipment including bp machines, lack of hb testing equipment, transport taking far too long to arrive in an emergency and being too short staffed to accompany the patients as it would leave no staff at the health centre. 

Early in the year Ammalife fundraised for BP cuffs and other essential equipment and these BP cuffs were given to each health centers so that they could carry out their work.  They were ever so grateful and when i did a follow up visit at the health centres several weeks later i saw them in again :)

 Discussing examples of partograms in groups

 Practicing taking of blood pressure in groups with the donated cuffs

 Neonatal resuscitation with our friend baby annie.

 Follow up visit to the health centers with on the job training- very basic conditions

The donated Bp cuff and emergency book with a midwive/ husband in a health center