Improving Health and Wellbeing in Maker Kuei
Partner | Loreto Rumbek
Location | Maker Kuei, Rumbek, South Sudan
Overview
This project will improve the health and wellbeing of people living in Maker Kuei by ensuring healthcare is more accessible to those who live at vast distances from the main town of Rumbek.
Through the purchase of a new vehicle for the Mary Ward Primary Health Care Centre, outreach activities are now possible and include vaccinating young children and vulnerable people in remote villages, as well as educating women and children to improve their daily health.
Challenges
The lack of a dedicated vehicle for the health centre was restricting their outreach services,particularly for those living in outlying communities who rely solely on the centre for their medical and health needs.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, the need for outreach services has increased dramatically, particularly as community sensitisation for vulnerable groups became an important component of the health centre’s COVID-19 response. In 2020 alone, 30% of the health centre’s 30,000+ consultations were conducted through the outreach program.
Impact
This new vehicle will mean that health centre programs can be delivered to vulnerable community members, making healthcare more accessible to those living in remote locations.
By having a reliable and dedicated means of transport, the health centre staff can conduct twice-weekly outreaches, plan their trips and work schedules with certainty, and provide better care for the community.
Activities
Health centre staff will conduct at least two outreaches each week, undertaking the followingactivities.
- Medical consultations – 400 per week.
- Deliver medicine to those without any other means of access.
- Vaccinations for children aged under 5 years – 100 per month.
- Health education and awareness training for mothers and caregivers, focusing on nutrition and care of children.
- Deliver food for the child nutrition program.
The new vehicle also ensures other health-related services can be provided, such as transferring patients to and from hospital and delivering medical supplies and equipment to the health centre.
