The Amsale Gessesse Memorial Foundation, in conjunction with the Addis Ababa Health Bureau, has undertaken to upgrade the existing neonatal and pediatric services of existing hospitals to provide more of the much needed neonatal and pediatric care for the public. The Foundation's initial efforts in this area have recently provided new equipment and supplies to Yekatit 12 Hospital in Addis Ababa.
Yekatit 12 Hospital is a referral hospital under the Addis Ababa City Government Health Bureau (AACG-HB) and has a total of 265 beds. It functions through a referral system but accepts emergency cases without referral. The hospital has 9 major departments and 6 units; has laboratory facilities and diagnostic examinations with routine and special radiological investigations including ultrasound services. In pediatrics and maternity alone, Yekatit 12 treats well over 15,000 patients annually. In addition to being overwhelmed with patients, it suffers from a shortage of trained staff.
Prior to the Foundation’s intervention, Yekatit 12 often lacked the medical equipment and supplies necessary to treat many complications of newborns. Mother and baby were sent to Black Lion by taxi or on foot, depending on whether the parent could afford car fare. If the baby survived this ordeal and the commensurate delay in treatment, the child often died while awaiting treatment at Black Lion, which is itself overwhelmed with its own patients and the referrals from elsewhere.
The Amsale Gessesse Memorial Foundation provided a large donation of equipment to Yekatit, including incubators, phototherapy equipment, beds, intravenous cannulas, suction machines, oxygen con-centrators, pulse oxy-meters, a cardiopulmonary monitor, glucometers, and an ECG machine to Yekatit 12 Hospital in Addis Ababa, the capitol of Ethiopia. This gift equipped 80% of the neonatal unit and will save tens of thousands of young lives. The remaining 20% of needed equipment will complete the neonatal unit. Much more needs to be done, however, to further upgrade Yekatit 12 as well as other hospitals in the country. In June of 2008, the Foundation made an additional gift of pediatric stethoscopes, scrubs, jackets, protective eye wear, shoes, watches, and caps to the Yekatit 12 neonatal nursing staff and Doctor.
The next steps are to create Neonatal and Pediatric Intensive Care Units and an inter-hospital ambulance service and hire and train staff to run the new units. Then, it’s on to the next hospital with critical needs.
The Amsale Gessesse Memorial Foundation seeks to serve as a voice for infants and children in Ethiopia to ensure that every baby and child is given the chance to grow and realize his or her full potential. By saving lives at birth, treating sick children, and working with children, their families, communities, governments, and non-governmental organizations, the Foundation will make good things happen until the people can help themselves.
You are invited to join us in this worthwhile endeavor. Please make your donation today by clicking on donate. No amount is too small. All gifts are greatly appreciated
