Majengo Health Centre -Maternal and Child Health Centre (MCH)
Owner: Municipal Council
Contact: Emil Mghamba
Box 318 Moshi
0754-452936
GENERAL INFORMATION
It was started by the Ministry of Health (1960s). It offers health services to a community of about 2000 people. This dispensary is in Moshi town some two kms from the town center. Currently it is conducting a research on HIV AIDS in collaboration with KCMC referral hospital. Majengo Health Centre is funded by the Government of Tanzania. The patients also contribute a little amount of money for consultation 300 Tshs per person (about $0.30). About 300 patients attend the health center daily. These patients are attended by 20 staff members who work on a shift basis.
MEDICAL ETHICS
On the matter of medical ethics as per the Ministry Of Health, a non medical professional cannot do the following:
• Observe individual treatment
• Observe delivery
• Go to the operating room
• Give injection
• Learn how to give injection
• Draw blood from patients and any other procedures which affect the human body
They can do the following:
• Weigh women and children’s body weight
• Record the MCH cards
• Keep immunization record
• Keeping general cleanliness in the clinic / ward
• Prepare working materials e.g. slides, cotton wool for sterilization; wash the laboratory equipment, etc.
• Help issue outpatient cards
• Help in pharmacy by making envelopes for tablets
• Make beds and any other manual activities which do not involve human health.
Volunteers who are medical professionals, residents or medical students in their last year of medical school will be allowed to do all above under supervision. In all government hospitals Medical Professional Volunteers must provide supporting professional documents.
A Medical Professional Volunteer will need a mentor for translation and guidance throughout his / her stay due to the language barrier.
• Examine and weigh babies and pregnant women and fill out growth charts. Examine mother/children under five years and other adults.
• Possible research and testing: participate in research on HIV, AIDS and other STDs in general including laboratory testing of other illnesses.
• Prepare blood slides for malaria test (pricking finger of patient)
• Keep records on patients’ charts and observing conditions including but not limited to: HIV/AIDS, candidiasis, vaginal warts, scabies, whooping cough, conjunctivitis, etc.
• Observe in pre-natal clinics and STI clinics
• For pre-medical students, you will be in a more observational capacity and for medical professionals, you will be able to work more “hands-on” while negotiating cultural and language barriers.
VOLUNTEER DUTIES/ACTIVITIES
• Examine and weigh babies and pregnant women and fill out growth charts. Examine mother/children under five years and other adults.
• Possible research and testing: participate in research on HIV, AIDS and other STDs in general including laboratory testing of other illnesses.
• Prepare blood slides for malaria test (pricking finger of patient)
• Keep records on patients’ charts and observing conditions including but not limited to: HIV/AIDS, candidiasis, vaginal warts, scabies, whooping cough, conjunctivitis, etc.
• Observe in pre-natal clinics and STI clinics
• For pre-medical students, you will be in a more observational capacity and for medical professionals, you will be able to work more “hands-on” while negotiating cultural and language barriers.
USEFUL SUPPLIES/DESIRABLE ATTRIBUTES
SUPPLIES:
There are very few supplies and equipment due to lack of resources. The dispensary has a shortage of stock of medicine, especially capillary syringes, vacontainers needle, vacontainer tubes and determiners.
All medical volunteers who would work in a hospital need to bring with him/her a professional uniform e.g. a white jacket and decent clothes. Other useful supplies include:
• Clean/sterile gloves
• B/P machine
• Masks, cap, plastic apron
• Antiseptic syringes 10cc
• Microscope
• Cuvettes for H/B and glucose
• Hand sanitizer,
• Torch
• Stethoscope (for outpatient care)
• Thermometer (for outpatient care)
ATTRIBUTES
• Patience and love with the patients.
• Creativity in organizing the dispensary
• Flexibility and ability to follow doctor on duty
• Work with very little equipment and supplies
• Work with substantial shortage of drugs and medicines
• Being able to work with a large number of patients
• Creativity in changing the environments, and giving positive suggestions for improvement.
• Willingness to do whatever work is needed with cooperation and humility.
• Advise on general and environmental cleanliness
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4 comments:
My name is Kim Krowne and I volunteered at Majengo for four total months (Nov. 2006 - March 2007). It began as a really rocky experience, difficult to get accustomed to all the differences but it ended up being extremely educational, rewarding, and a true pleasure. I spent various amounts of time doing the following:
-administering Depo Provera
injections in Family Planning and
observing the insertion of IUDs
-giving vaccinations and preparing
syringes
-drawing blood and testing for HIV
and malaria
-observing the doctors
-weighing babies and children,
filling out growth charts,
counseling mothers
-assisting nurses with antenatal
charts and examinations
At the time, I was only a pre-medical student recently graduated from University, so I had not had any formal medical training. So the hands-on experience was incredible.
I found that working with the babies and young children was the area where the most help was needed. Once I got the hang of it and was able to do it without the help of the nurses, I could take that job off of their hands giving them the time to be available in other areas. It can be very overwhelming and crowded, but as long as you keep your head and stay calm, the women will cooperate with you.
Dr. Mandari is one of the main doctors there. Dr. Emily works with STIs and Dermatology. Lily and Abdul work in the lab. Mama Mosha heads the family planning section. And some of the other nurses are Mama Huka (great!) and Sister Rehema (also great!).
If you ever want to find out more or ask questions, please email me at kkrowne@gmail.com. Good luck!
One more thing...Be very proactive. They all love for you to gain experience in every aspect of the clinic, so just ask and you should be able to observe and/or assist in any area.
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