USAID renovated and equipped facilityAl-Selu Medical Centre awaits Government support [Archives:2007/1034/Health]
March 19 2007
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Over $ 122,000 has been spent on renovating and equipping the Al-Thawra Medical Centre in Al-Selu district, around 40km south of Taiz, at the expense of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and Department of State for Civil Affairs. However, the centre is still unable to offer proper medical services due to a huge deficiency in the budget Yemen had promised to commit based on a memorandum of understanding between USAID and the Yemeni Government.
In 2005, the US Department of Defence Civil Affairs Section renovated Al-Selu health facility which had only 8 rooms. Kenneth Vans, civil affairs specialist in the US embassy, Yemen, said, ” We expanded the medical centre to provide 10 more rooms: 3 admission rooms, 3 operation rooms, an X-ray room and an antenatal care room. In addition, we provided the centre with a generator.”
Mikaela Meredith, the USAID deputy director revealed that the Al-Selu medical centre is part of the Basic Health Services project (BHS) that aims to assist people in the health services. “In October 2006, a memorandum of understanding was signed between USAID and the Health Office in Taiz. In the memorandum, USAID commitments included training midwives, training a doctor in Ultrasound, providing medical and non-medical equipment, and some furniture,” she explained.
In response the Yemeni Government agreed to staff the centre and upgrade its operational budget.
The centre, which was first established in 1998, serves around 60,000 inhabitants. In the past, it offered poor medical services because of lack of equipment and finance. As a result the district's residents would turn to Taiz hospital for treatment and endangering the health of patients, especially women during and after delivery, by stretching the hospital's resources.
“Before USAID provided the centre with equipment, particularly ultrasound and X-ray machines, we would rely on clinical examination to diagnose patients,” said Dr. Abdulhakeem Basha, manager of the centre. “As diagnosis was mostly associated with suspicion concerning some problems such as liver, kidney and others, patients were transferred to Taiz hospital. Since most of the transferred cases were pregnant women, many suffered abortions because of bad roads,” he added.
During the USAID delegation visit to the centre on Monday, 12 March, 2007, Dr. Basha confirmed that the centre has not been staffed according to what was agreed in the memorandum of understanding between the Yemeni Government and USAID.
“The Yemeni Government undertook to staff the hospital with midwives, a lab technician, a pharmacist and a guard. So far, nothing has happened in this regard. We have 11 staffers in the centre but 6 of them are volunteers, ” he stated.
Moreover, Basha affirmed that even though the centre has witnessed a marked improvement in services thanks to USAID, resulting in an increase in the number of patients admitted, it still cannot admit all patients or undertake surgical operations.
“We receive 25 up to 30 patients per day. Two thirds of which are women. But still, we can't care for them properly since the centre's budget is miniscule. We run the hospital according to the available budget which is not more than YR 12,000 per month, ” he noted. He also affirmed that the recent renovation implemented by USAID and US Defence Civil Affairs Section increased the capacity of the centre so that it can better serve the district's residents. But a shortage in the budget represents the major obstacle faced by centre.
“The centre is now able to conduct several surgical operations such as caesarean sections, appendectomy, hernia, and others. Also, the capacity of the centre to admit patients has increased but unless we acquire an increased operational budget to run the centre, we can't conduct any of these operations nor admit all patients,” Basha pointed out.
“Women represent the majority of the beneficiaries of the centre especially in the antenatal care and obstetric units. We receive about 140 women in the antenatal care unit. We make clinical examinations, conduct medical tests and also give advice in order to ensure the safety of both mother and foetus, ” said Amal Abdulilah Saeed, head of the Reproductive Health Unit in the centre.
She further added that between 4 to 6 deliveries occur at the centre per month and 10 to 15 home deliveries per month are attended by midwives. “Home deliveries are more than deliveries in the centre because medical services were very weak. But now the centre has improved thanks to the recent renovation. Consequently, deliveries in the centre have started to increase. We also have a women's health education unit which educates women about issues surrounding pregnancy and delivery” she noted.
The centre also vaccinates women of child-bearing age against tetanus as well as providing routine vaccination for the district's babies. “In this centre, around 170 babies are immunized per month in addition to 70-80 women per month who are vaccinated against tetanus,” said the manager.
On the other hand, the staff disclosed that they had been working for a long time as volunteers and therefore demanded that the government should review their situation. “We have 11 staff members in the centre. Six of them are volunteers. The government promised to employ them but nothing has happened,” said the manager.
According to Amal Abdulilah Saeed “I have been working at this centre for 3 years as a volunteer. I am one of the residents here. So, I want to be employed and get my salary.”
Hayat Mahyoob, lab technician, has thus far she received only promises of paid employment from the government “I have been here for one year. So far, I haven't been employed. The government is responsible for our employment as agreed with USAID, ” she said.
Mekaela Meredith, USAID deputy director, revealed that the memorandum of understanding between USAID and Yemen was signed 5 months ago, which was enough time for the Yemeni Government to implement its commitments concerning the centre's staff and operational budget. “The memorandum holds both sides accountable for their commitments,” she commented, adding, “As the Yemeni government expects that we uphold that agreement, we expect that the Yemeni government also upholds that agreement.”
For his part, Ahmed Mahmoud Abu Khaleel, district local council head maintained that the Health Office in Taiz is coordinating with the incumbent bodies in the governorate to employ trained staff and provide the centre's budget. “We are working hard to make the terms of the memorandum a reality within the confines of the ability of the local council in co-operation with the Government,” he said.
Dr. Yahya Al-Babili, deputy director of BHS project, affirmed that unless the government provides increased finance, the centre will not be able to offer the necessary services or live up to its potential and therefore patients will not fully benefit from the centre's renovation. “We expect that the Health Office will reconsider the issue concerning the provision of adequate finances to the centre, otherwise, the centre will not be able to treat patients or fulfil its potential”, he said.
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