St. Joseph Health Centre

St. Joseph Health Centre
P.O. Box 330
Moshi
Tanzania
Phone: 255 027 2753843
Mobile: 255 784 607045

GENERAL INFORMATION
St. Joseph Health Center is located in Moshi Municipality, four km from Town center and 1km from Home base. It is about 500m from the main road. The Center belongs to Sisters of Our Lady of Kilimanjaro (RC) Moshi Diocese.

A new Surgery unit with recovery room and laundry room has been constructed, yet the hospital is still waiting for funding to be able to purchase equipment for the new unit.

Currently there are 29 members of staff, 5 Male and 24 Female

Languages used are English and Kiswahili – some terms are used in British English, like “theatre” for “surgery unit” for example.

MISSION
To give service to the communities where they live to improve quality of life regardless of nationality, race or religion. This hospital is also one that our volunteers visit if they need medical treatment.

ACTIVITIES
Based on each volunteer’s personal experience, they will choose a department where they will feel most comfortable. Examples of departments are: The Antenatal Unit, Laboratory, OPD, Family Planning etc…

 Clinic work- OPD screen patients
 Mother/Child Health – Prenatal care, Under five children vaccination
 Daily ward rounds
 Surgery (Operation)- when equipment is procured
 Radiology (taking X-Rays/Ultra sound
 Laboratory services
 Nursing activities

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.

Activities for Volunteers are:
 Nurse- in the wards within the Hospital
 Doctor- work within the hospital
 One who can go for Home Based care for HIV/AIDS patients and Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC) for counseling
 Making beds, take blood, go on rounds with doctors, see patients, work in maternity ward
 Helping with administrative work like editing grant applications and annual reporting.
 Giving seminars on medically-related topics
 Advise on general and environmental cleanliness

SUPPLIES
 Nurse uniform
 Gloves
 Stethoscope for a Doctor.
 Any other materials e.g. books for reference, medical books.

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:
• B/P machine
• Masks, cap, plastic apron
• Antiseptic syringes 10cc
• Microscope
• Cuvettes for H/B and glucose
• Hand sanitizer,
• Torch
• Thermometer (for outpatient care)

ATTRIBUTES
 Volunteerism and Spirit
 Medical skills
 Love
 Care
 Patience