Dr Amber returns to City Garden Clinic

The partnership with PIH (Partners in Health) in the US continues, but unfortunately due to various circumstances the residents could not join, but dr Amber came.

We were very happy to see dr Amber again. She has been a great help in the clinic and in teaching the staff, including the STP.

She also took some good stories of Sierra Leone and also medical stories back to continue to teach her residents.

During her stay she made it possible with her commitment for a young malnourished baby and its mother to get proper treatment and gain weight!

We visited the orphans at the Child Care Center in Yele, and in Yele she also met with Foday a boy that had been in the hospital during her previous visit: he is now walking well!

We are looking forward to the next visit in February 2020, then with residents.

40 hernia’s sponsored

Inguinal hernias are quite common in Sierra Leone, but untreated can have serious complications, including death.

Hernia’s also have a major social impact as it can make the breadwinner to become unable to do his or her job.

But unfortunately, not all people with hernia’s have the means to get treatment. So in poorer or rural areas there are people suffering with large hernias and their family is suffering too, as the family income is reduced.

This is why 4HIM sponsors from time to time groups of hernia patients to get treated at City Garden Clinic. Also, this September/October a group of 40 patients came in two badges. Pastor Nat has assembled the patients from the area around Masiaka where he is working.

At City Garden Clinic they get checked, some might not be hernia’s but other illness that will require proper treatment too.

 

All receive medical care, but also food is provided for them.

This gives City Garden Clinic much work, but also income, so we are very happy with it as well. And it gives us at City Garden Clinic a chance to do what we stand for: serve the sick.

The staff at City Garden clinic showed good teamwork and all went very smooth. On arrival of the second badge, most of the first group could join pastor Nat back home.

And about a week later also the second group could go home.

We are very grateful to 4HIM and its sponsors to make this possible

 

Crutches

Today a young girl came walking in the clinic just after clinic hours. She is a polio victim and supported by two crutches. But these crutches are far too small for her.

We changed her crutches for crutches her own size. We have these crutches due to donations made from the US by 4HIM and partners like HOPE foundation.

Her name is Masiri Fornah. She comes from Bombuna, a mining town north of Makeni. She tells me that some years ago she was visiting her aunt I here in Makeni when dr ABD was her walking/struggling. He told her to come to his clinic that Sunday. She came and he provided her with the crutches.
(looking at the size of the, that must have been some years back)

Success with your new fitting crutches Maissiri!

And thank you 4 HIM!!

 

Grande cleaning City Garden Clinic

Already for some time, the hygiene of City Garden Clinic has our attention: we want to improve it. The cleaners get supply regularly, a better roster for the cleaners have been made,

Much effort has been put into fighting leakages, so the water will not run out. More health education has started, also hygiene health education by the cleaners. Not all our clients (patients and caretakers) know how to use flush toilets.

So at the recent general staff meeting dr ABD suggested a large general cleaning on September 15th. All staff was to join and the whole first floor would get a proper scrub (this level has oil paint, so can be cleaned proper, unfortunately unlike the second floor).

Dr Erdi together with the clinicians and nurses on duty transferred as much as possible patients to the second floor the day before the cleaning.

So before 8 am out IPC coordinator nurse Nabie had prepared the work by removing all mattresses and cupboards to the veranda.

At 8 am a large group of people started the cleaning, and other soon joined. Most of the staff was present and also some patients or their caretakers assisted.

A good scrub of the walls really made a huge difference. Also the beds and the floor was scrubbed.

After the work all enjoyed a good meal prepared by Mrs Kumba Sesay and her team.

Matron Martha also arranged with the proprietor that new window curtains were available.

In the afternoon the patients returned to their rooms: “it look as it is repainted!”

THANKS TO ALL STAFF AND OTHERS THAT ASSISTED!

If you also want to assist in better hygiene for City garden Clinic, please consider sponsoring the project of “Smarter Hospital” to renovate (second floor also to get oil paint, improvement in waste management): https://smarter-hospital.nl/smarter-hospital.nl/renovatie-en-uitbreiding-cgc/

 

Hot fermentation

One of the traditional ways of treating illness in Sierra Leone is by “hot fermentation”: applying boiling hot herbs/leaves on the affected body part.
Unfortunately this often does not heal the illness, but causes additional burn wounds to the affected body part These burn wound with their infection can cause severe damage to the human body.

That is what happened when the 25-year-old Kadiatu had mastitis (infection of her breast). She comes from a remote village north of Makeni.
Traditional medicine was applied to her breast, but this made things only worse. When she arrived at City Garden Clinic her whole left breast was completely infected and necrotic, even a part of her other breast.

Even though she had no money, dr AND decided to admit her and to help her. Her left breast was no longer viable and she had to loose that breast. Several times she had to go to the operation theatre to get the wound clean and later to assist the wound to close. She has been in the hospital for about 6 weeks, when her breast wound almost closed. But still payment of the hospital bill was not possible.

We decided she is an exception, and a successful exception, we treat despite the lack of money.

Kadiatu be a spokes woman against “hot fermentation”!

 

ALMA students

Alma is a town in Midchigan, where dr Jeff Smith is also from. Many years ago, when dr ABD visited there for the first time, he met prof Hulme.

Prof Hulme is a college professor and one of his tasks is to arrange (educational) trips/experiences for the students of ALMA College.

Now prof Hulma is also board member of Foot print Mission USA, who set up and supports the Child Care Center in Makinkisa.

Already for many years students have been coming to Magbenteh Hospital. This year is the first year the students are coming to City Garden Clinic and to the Child Care Center at Makinkisa.

Ellen, Taylor, Charlie and Cassidy visited us.

We do miss them a lot!

We look forward to the continuation of this partnership with ALMA College!

Thank you prof Hulme for all you do for Sierra Leone!!!

 

Hepatitis B vaccination for City Garden Clinic staff

Hepatitis B is a very common infection in Sierra Leon, but can have severe consequences. Hepatitis B can cause severe liver cirrhosis and even cancer of the liver. These conditions we see regular in City Garden Clinic, so we know the consequences of Hepatitis B.

Hepatitis B is transmitted from person to person via blood or sexual intercourse. This is much easier transmitted then HIV.

Hepatitis B is especially a high risk for health care workers, as they come in contact with blood a lot. A small wound when spill on your skin, a needle stick accident when extracting blood in the lab or when trying to place a canula or even bigger cut with the blade in theatre….

But hepatitis B is preventable by vaccination!

In many countries all healthcare workers are vaccinated, but not so in Sierra Leone. But City Garden Clinic wishes to protect their staff from Hepatitis B and started to give all employees an opportunity to get tested and when tested negative, to receive the vaccine.

The first vaccine was given in May, the second vaccine in June and the last will be due in November.

The vaccines are quite expensive, and actually requires a titer test after the third shoit, as a few individuals might not make enough antibodies with three shorts and might require a fourth. This test is available in Freetown, but unfortunately unaffordable for us to have every vaccinated employee tested…

We are very happy to be able to provide some protection to our staff as they are very important to the clinic!
… even though the shorts are quite painfull….

 

Graduation nurses

A big day for Memuna and Fatmata as they graduate as SECHN from Masanga school of healt sciences, nursing department.

As representatives from City Garden Clinic, that sponsored their training, dr Erdi and Matron Martha were present.

A great ceremony with speeches from lecturers, people from the ministry of Health and Sanirtation, people from Masanga Hospital, from the nurses council. Ending with the issuing of certificates to a large group of graduates.

All the graduates have made the nurses pladge:

Ï solemnly pledge myself before God and in the presence of this assembly to pass my life in purity and to practice my profession faithfully I shall abstain from whatever is deleterious and mischievous, and shall not take of knowingly administer any harmful drug.
I will do all in my power to elevate the standard of my profession, and will holdin confidence all personal matters committed to my keeping and all family affairs coming to the welfare of those committed to my care”

Congratulations Fatmata and Memunatu!

 

Dutch intern Plym

For little over three months we have enjoyed the presence of Plym. She is a final year medical intern from the Netherlands.
She has done her final rotation in City Garden Clinic and also done research on (mis-)conceptions around cervical cancer and the screening for cervical cancer.

 

She is a wonderful person to have in the clinic, where she assisted a lot, but also learned a lot!

 

 

Soon after returning she will graduate as a medical doctor.
We wish her success in her career and hope to see her back one day at City garden Clinic!

 

Start partnership with PIH USA

This month it was the first time we received doctors from PIH Health Family Medicine Residency.

Dr Amber Lin, the coordinator of the program and the first resident Trevor visited City Garden Clinic. They joined in the medical work in the hospital, sharing their knowledge and experience with the doctors of City Garden Clinic as well as learning about medicine in Sierra Leone.

Their stay was a success on both sides and it was agreed to continue this partnership. The aim is that dr Amber Lin will come twice a year for a month with two residents of the family medicine program.

We ar happy to have started this new partnership and gained new friends!