February 2015 Update

The St. John of God Brothers in collaboration with a workforce of 142 co-workers in our 3 Institutions which include the General hospital, the clinic and the Nursing School. As a follow up of our last updates in January, 2015, the Brothers decided in collaboration with the co-workers to re-open the Outpatient department. Until February, 16, 2015, the Inpatient department was re-opened.

The Clinic in Lungi also has re-opened since March 2, 2015 whilst we are getting ready to re-open the Nursing School waiting to hear the official announcement from the Government of Sierra Leone.

Currently, the Hospital is offering the following services: General consultations for all categories of patients, Laboratory services, Radiology, Ultrasonography, Electrocardiography, antenatal services, Internal medicine admission, General surgery admission, Paediatric in patient, maternity and Outreach primary health care activities. Currently, the hospital is operating on a 30 bed capacity with a staff strength of 129. In addition to the old services, one new added service is the Triage. For the St. John of God Services in Sierra Leone, the Triage Unit is a key unit that is prerequisite to ensure all staff and patients safety. We have also established a triage unit in the clinic at Lungi. We shall also institute a screening point at the Nursing training school.

Statstics for February 2015

Outpatient= 752
Male= 333
Female= 419
Below 5 years= 96
Antenatal Clinic= 80
Inpatient=
Surgery (Gen)= 4
Normal Deliveries= 2
Ceasarian Section= 1

Partners

Our partners have always been some local and other foreign.

The local partners include; International Medical Corps (IMC), Port Loko District Medical Team, OXFAM, Friends of Maternity Hospitals. Our Foreign partners include: National Institute for Infectious Diseases (INMI) IRCCS «L. Spallanzani», Italy; ENGIM, Italy; GLOBAL LABORATORY, Germany; ODW, Germany; Wales Hospital, UK; University School of Nursing, Barcelona; Brothers of St. John of God, Andalusia Province, Aragon Province, General Curia, Rome; CORDAID ,Netherlands; MISSIO, Austria; Italian Cooperation, Sierra Leone; Juan Ciudad; St. John of God Development Company Ireland and Holland; CUAMM-doctors for Africa, Western European Province; etc… and many others.

Health Financing

The services continue to receive financing from the Hospitaller Order of St. John of God’s headquarters in Rome. The income generated from the patients is below 10% of the projected budget of the hospital. For the clinic, we are yet to conclude since it has just started it out patients operations. The Nursing School is another pathetic situation since the school depends on students’ enrollment and presently there is none. So the school has to provide salary for its full time staff.

Challenges

As I have always stated earlier on, the greatest challenge ahead of us to strengthen the health system within the country. What I mean by this is that, the National health system including Curative and preventive should be synchronized and strengthen.
The training of the personnel on Infection prevention and Control protocols is another challenge. In view of avoiding future spread of any possible deadly disease as Ebola, staff refresher programmes must be implemented.

Another huge challenge ahead is the procurement of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). Many component of this supply are not available in the local market. If provided from Europe, the cost is enormous. How can we sustain this without donor support? Can the patients afford to pay for the cost in the medical Bill? No. Will be staff be wise enough to use these PPEs appropriately? No. There will be a lot of wastage. How are we going to control this?

Future

We are envisaging to continue our normal operations as before the Ebola outbreak when the hospital was able to finance itself. Looking at the trend prevailing, clients are still afraid to visit the hospital and especially now because the protocols still remain that any patients that will meet the case definition shall be referred to the nearest Ebola Treatment centre; this is what terrifies the clients now again. The reason , is mainly ignorance. Social Mobilisation especially, the micro approach planning should be strengthen.

We pray for our sympathizers to continue to support us to care for our patients who always will knock at our door.