Restore Dignity to Women in Mali

The IntraHealth Mali Fistula program has made great strides in recruiting and training medical personnel to provide emergency and obstetric fistula surgery. To date, 25 surgical teams have been trained across the country and members of the teams have held 186 community conversations, made 96 home visits, hosted 89 counseling sessions, and diffused 740 health related messages on 10 local radio stations.

While training medical professionals to diagnose and treat fistula, reducing stigma surrounding fistula, and addressing the social and physiological consequences of fistula remain project priorities, attention can now be drawn to addressing specific needs of hospitals in the remote norther regions of Gao, Kayes, Sikasso, Koulikoro, and Bamako. By ensuring the hospitals and medical facilities in these regions are properly equipped to provide quality care, the project can expand the breadth and depth of fistula services.

A partnership with Project C.U.R.E has enabled IntraHealth to secure and disseminate donated hospital and surgical equipment and supplies that will strengthen the hospitals ability to provide care.

Twenty stethoscopes, 20 folding walkers, 3 monitors for vital signs, 14 IV poles, 2 centrifuges, exam lights and EKG electrodes, feminine pads and diapers, linens, and towels. That’s just some of the equipment and supplies packed into a shipping container earlier this summer by colleagues at Project C.U.R.E. The container was bound for target regions in northern Mali where hospital workers and patients eagerly awaited them.

The estimated value of all the equipment and supplies volunteers managed to squeeze into the container topped $180,000—all donated or purchased through donations.

The goal of the supplies is to alleviate the severe shortage and in some cases even complete dearth of essential equipment available at health facilities. Along with the equipment comes a sense of relief to the health workers who have been limping by with old, broken, or missing equipment. Now these hospitals can continue to restore dignity to women suffering from fistula by not only providing a life-changing medical procedure, but also by providing them with high quality care in adequately equipped facilities.

While the supplies are a welcome site and essential for quality care and increased capacity, more supplies are necessary. One hospital in the region, l’Hopital du Point G, is desperately awaiting a shipment of new hospital beds. With your help this can become a reality.  

Links:

• Project C.U.R.E.