Obstetrics and Perinatal Medicine Mendefera

In 2006, a new clinic was built in the provincial town of Mendefera, which has a catchment area of around 1 million inhabitants, financed by the World Bank. At the start of the project, there was no possibility of intensive medical care for sick newborns and premature babies, or for older children. The mortality rate was correspondingly very high. As a result, only 30% of births take place in the clinic, with most women giving birth at home.

Since 2011, Oldenburg doctors, nurses, midwives and other helpers have been travelling to Mendefera twice a year to work with the Eritreans to set up a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and a simple paediatric intensive care unit (PICU) step by step. At the same time, the existing obstetrics department is being supported.

In many missions, ARCHEMED has set up three intensive care patient rooms, a storage room and two delivery rooms and equipped them with medical supplies, as well as significantly improving the supply of electricity and water. However, the focus of the missions is on training doctors, nurses and midwives. In neonatology and paediatrics, important topics in our training include infusion therapy, heat therapy, nutrition, hygiene, resuscitation of newborns and continuous monitoring of children. In obstetrics, the main topics are monitoring of the mother and foetus, early detection of abnormalities and pathologies, hygiene and improving cooperation with the NICU. Another field of activity of the Oldenburg team is the training of staff in the regional health centres of the Debub region.

Word has spread about the possibility of receiving help at the clinic: more and more mothers and patients from the entire region and from neighbouring smaller clinics are coming to Mendefera. Meanwhile, the NICU with about 300 patients per year and the PICU with over 100 patients per year are well utilised.

The original project goal of significantly improving the care of newborn and premature infants has been achieved for the time being. The longer-term goal of the project is to create a functioning perinatal centre that is well received by the population, i.e. a care unit that combines expert obstetrics and neonatal medicine under one roof (see Perinatal Centre Keren). The project work in Mendefera will therefore continue with a focus on obstetrics. To this end, the premises, medical equipment, staff training and cooperation with the NICU in the field of perinatology must be further improved.