SAF is the dispensary and surgery that was one of our projects during the Madagascar Appeal of 2018–19. We have been able to help fund their work and here they share some of the fruits of that work. SAF is very grateful to UWI for their generosity.
SAF aims to promote lower-risk motherhood for women of childbearing age and pregnant women, they also wish to strengthen diagnostic reliability for all patients through ultrasound examinations and support the main activities of the Dispensary with stable and sustainable quality services.
The money from the UWI appeal enabled SAF to construct a waiting room for 20 patients. They also wished to set up a room to become an administrative office and a room for ultrasound examinations (using the former administration office). The money also enabled them to acquire all equipment needed for the successful completion of the project, this has resulted in better ultrasound examinations and patient care.
SAF has manage to achieve all the above so now they have a new and functioning waiting room, an administrative office has been set up (reception and cashier), the ultrasound examination room has been designed, standardized and equipped, the planned materials and equipment have all been acquired.
So far the SAF Dispensary has dealt with around 200 women of childbearing age per month, around 80 pregnant women per month, and around 200 other cases of abdomino-pelvic and prostatic illnesses per month.
The result of this valuable medical service hopefully will be a reduction of infant and maternal mortality linked to pregnancy and improved diagnosis and therapeutic management in the dispensary.
SAF has learned some positive lessons from these improvements, it has enabled the facilitation of management and decisions taken before treatments and also saves time for patients, with immediate treatment available after ultrasound confirmation.
In the future SAF plans the following services:
- Sensitising women of childbearing age to know their gynaecological status
- Screening pregnant women for medical conditions
- Caring for women who require appropriate treatment
- Caring for other patients who attend the centre
- Ensuring the operation of the centre in relation to the project
- Ensuring salaries and allowances for project staff (ultrasound operator, doctors, manager)
- Ensure follow-up and evaluation of activities.
SAF wishes this project to continue well into the future and therefore they wish to ensure the permanent availability of the sonographer (ultrasound operator) and the continued operation of the centre at the end of this project, and the full participation of the patients. SAF want to continue to offer the service for a small single and affordable price, this is of paramount importance to the wellbeing and health of people in Madagascar.