1,019 patients received emergency care at Makunduchi Hospital’s new Emergency Department.
Emergency Department
We constructed an Emergency Medicine and Laboratory block with the generous support of the Lady Fatemah (a.s.) Charitable Trust and the Jaffar Family Foundation. The Emergency Department provides easy access, an improved patient flow, a dedicated resuscitation area, triage, a consultation room, a treatment area with up to 8 beds and an isolation room. Further we equipped the Emergency Department with the necessary equipment for emergency care.
To strengthen emergency care provision in Zanzibar we established Emergency Medicine departments at Kivunge and Makunduchi hospitals. An integral part of our projects is to improve referral pathways.
Most cases this past year involved road traffic injuries (adults) and falls/burns (children).
The World Health Assembly stated in its Resolution that “millions of deaths and long-term disabilities from injuries, infections, acute exacerbations of noncommunicable diseases… could be prevented each year if emergency care services exist.” (WHA, 2019).
Ambulance Boat
Our ambulance boat service on Tumbatu Island serves as a significant milestone in our mission to provide urgent medical care to the most isolated regions. The introduction of the ambulance boat has revolutionised emergency healthcare for the island’s residents, addressing critical challenges posed by geographical isolation and limited resources. Before the ambulance boat, emergencies were a race against time and resources. Patients in critical condition had to endure precarious and expensive journeys to receive urgent care. Now, the ambulance boat stands as a beacon of hope, offering a swift, well-equipped, and free emergency transport service to the main hospital on Unguja.
Dr Yussuf, the dedicated clinician at a clinic on Tumbatu, shares his firsthand experiences:
“In Tumbatu, we face unique challenges due to our isolation and lower economic status. The ambulance boat has been a lifesaver, literally. It has enabled us to stabilise patients and quickly get them the advanced care they need at Kivunge.
This service has significantly reduced the tragic instances of patients losing their lives before reaching the hospital.”