The largest and most important neonatal and premature infant unit in Eritrea, located in the capital Asmara, treats up to 1,800 critically ill infants annually. Permanently overcrowded, the renovation of this now over 20-year-old unit is urgently required. While installing new supply rails, our craftsmen discovered a major termite infestation in the partition walls of the infant rooms. This is an untenable situation for the operation of a neonatal unit where patients require a particularly high level of medical care and hygiene.
The unit will now be completely gutted, all pests eliminated, and the walls renovated. For this extensive renovation project, the infants must first be evacuated. To accommodate the newborns, we are using the neighboring surgical center IOCCA, which will unfortunately not be available for ARCHEMED surgical operations during the entire period of the work. However, adequate care is available there, ensuring no gap in the specialized care and treatment of the small patients.
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Starting in December 2024, numerous ARCHEMED craftsmen will carry out the renovation of the interior spaces together with their Eritrean colleagues. This requires precise coordination and binding agreements between the individual trades to ensure the project proceeds smoothly. All containers with building materials are already on their way to Asmara so that the required materials are on site when the work begins.
The restored neonatal unit will then be equipped with new warming beds and modern medical technology. We expect the renovation work to be completed in April 2025. The infants will then be transferred back and surgical operations at IOCCA will resume.
Project Management
Norbert Kessler, Civil Engineer, Hösbach
