Following extensive renovation, the neonatal ward at Orotta Hospital in Asmara was able to be reoccupied in spring 2025. The relocation was accompanied by a medical team that conducted initial training sessions. In May, another medical mission followed with Dr. Ansgar Thimm, Silke Scheider-Börsch, Gabriele Kolb, and Jolina Schulz. The team deepened the introduction to the new medical technology and supported the understaffed team in their daily clinical work. Thanks to the close cooperation with the Eritrean colleagues, many challenges were successfully overcome.
The ward has been fundamentally modernized: New warm beds, ventilators, monitors, and a dedicated gas supply for each child significantly improve the survival chances of premature and newborn infants. The technology enables more precise therapy, reduces alarm frequencies, and considerably eases daily nursing routines – but it must be mastered safely. “Our core task was to instruct the nursing staff in handling the new technology and to re-establish lost routines after the stressful weeks of relocation,” explains project leader Silke Scheider-Börsch, who has been working in Eritrea for over 20 years. Targeted training was conducted with daily sessions in the areas of respiration, heat management, emergency measures, and hygiene standards. A particular highlight was the resuscitation training with Dr. Ansgar Thimm.
Between training sessions, resuscitation exercises, and routine duties, there were also many emotional encounters, for example, with little Sinait, whose mother was in a coma after birth. The baby was lovingly cared for by her grandmother – but with too little milk due to financial hardship. The team recognized the emergency and provided nutrition to ensure her care. This individual case is exemplary of a structural problem: just around 50 euros can secure a baby’s nutrition in Eritrea for an entire month.
Archemed plans to continue supporting the ward with training, equipment, and targeted assistance. Donations are welcome: www.archemed.org/spenden, Donation account IBAN: DE63 4145 0075 0000 0882 03 (Sparkasse Hellweg-Lippe).