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Improving healthcare delivery in Uganda

$1,000 goal
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Started 5 years ago

In my two month service abroad I will work throughout hospitals in Uganda where saving medical equipment saves lives.

Auckland

In Africa, Asia and Latin America, countless lives are lost because vital hospital equipment is not in working order. Despite efforts with donations of medical equipment, due to lack of training in the correct use or lack of maintenance of the equipment, almost half of the medical equipment is out of service in resource-poor health settings. Broken incubators mean babies double up, dramatically reducing the effectiveness of the machine. Operating room lamps require special bulbs that cannot be found in developing countries. Hospitals often face the choice of not doing surgery at all, or replacing the bulb with the wrong type, increasing the risk of fire during an operation.

For 9 weeks I will be participating in the January Institute in Uganda run by Engineering World Health. With the focus on improving the technological infrastructure of hospitals in the developing world. The first month I will be based in Kampala. Here I will complete training on medical equipment repair working alongside local biomedical engineering student from Makerere University. I will also be learning the local language and studying appropriate design. The second month will be working in a small team in public hospitals throughout Uganda, working with local medical professionals within the communities. Where we will be making repairs and improvements to critical medical devices with very limited resources and performing preventative maintenance. I will also be empowering local staff through training them to use and maintain the equipment, in order to build a local capacity to manage the equipment in the future.

Since the program’s inception in 2004, participants have worked in some 30 hospitals in Nicaragua, Rwanda and Tanzania. Students have repaired over 4,900 pieces of equipment, returning to service an estimated $10.1 million worth of medical technology.

I have been following efforts regarding poor design and integration of medical equipment within developing countries for some time. My passion for developing medical technology has led me to Auckland Bioengineering Institute where I have just completed my Masters in Bioengineering. Immersing myself in the lives and communities of those that work these in hospitals and within vulnerable communities, I hope to gain an insightful first-hand perspective. Which I can then apply towards more effective and inclusive designs of medical devices and technology for the developing world.

Thank you for your consideration. I hope you will help me make a difference!

Engineering World Health Site: <https://www.ewh.org>

For more information on problems surrounding hospital equipment in Africa:

<https://www.who.int/bulletin/volumes/86/1/07-042994/en/>

<https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1586/17434440.4.6.759.>

Use of funds

-Biomedical Equipment Repair training

-Biomedical Equipment course and lab

-Text book, lab book and lab supplies

-Tool kits and basic repair supplies

-Travel to rural hospitals

-Emergency evacuation and in-country medical insurance

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This campaign started on 10 Dec 2019 and ended on 3 Jul 2020.