A new car for a rural clinic in Camabatela

Background

According to Government figures, after the end of the war, approximately 1.8 million Internally Displaced People had returned to their areas of origin by the end of March 2003, and 303,426 moved back to the provinces of Kuanza.

Only 220,000 people have relocated under an organised plan and official estimates show that 70 percent IDP have returned to areas without the pre-conditions for resettlement being in place – no assistance from local authorities or humanitarian organisations. This has resulted in a large scale outbreak of disease due to the lack of health and social services organizations.

Problem

The Province of Camabatela was situated right on the front line of the war, therefore the house and the clinic of the Good Shepherd Sisters suffered from repeated attacks by the conflicting armies, and it still bears the signs of the bullets. The Sisters have been strong enough to survive during the harsh time of the war in this village, keeping the local rural clinic functioning and providing assistance to the people, despite the lack of the most elementary equipment.

Because of the destructive impact of the war, this community of Camabatela, is isolated from other cities and places. It has no telephone communication, electricity nor passable roads.

The major factor for at least 26% of the Angolan population is the distance they need to travel to access healthcare (UNICEF figures). Sick people in remote villages are unable to travel, therefore, the nurse at the clinic is often asked to go and assist them. Women in particular ask her for assistance during pregnancy and delivery. The clinic treats an average of 60 people per day and at least 30 people need to be visited daily in the villages nearby.

Due to the lack of equipment at the clinic, if an emergency arises, women and other patients need to be transported to the nearest hospital, a trip that can take more than four hours.

Objective

• Buy a reliable vehicle to transport sick people from the rural villages to the nearest hospitals. This is a very simple project aimed at fulfilling very basic, but essential, needs;
• it will help to address the isolation of this community, and afford them the opportunity of having contacts with the other towns, not only in case of emergencies, but for general service purposes.

Expected results

• Decrease the death rate for women from Camabatela and neighbouring villages who experience difficult delivery;
• Increase newborns survival rate as they will access to better natal and post natal care.
• Increase the general health of the people from the neighbouring villages who will have access to healthcare.

Final result

Thanks to a generous contribution granted by MIVA (Netherlands) we have been able to purchase a Land Rover that is now in Camabatela after a long wait at the custom in the port of Luanda. It is now being used by Sisters to transport patients to and from the clinic.