June report 2008

The rains have begun and much of the surrounding bush is  covered in stagnant ponds.
Incidence of snake bites has risen and a snake was found in the clinic having little shelter in the swampy ground outside . After  clinic duties the ground has been cleared around the building to prevent another unwelcome 'visitor'.



During June,  camps were held at Olota,  Ekogbene, and Enekorogha.  With stagnant pools everywhere Malaria  is rife and again we are grateful to  the Delta State Primary  Health Care Agency and  the Burutu LGA Health Centre for provision of Coartem anti-malarial treatments.

300 patients were seen and treated in the camps, beside house calls, the majority being infectious disease cases.
 Infant twins were seen with whooping cough during a house call. They were treated but one was severely ill, and the family without funds to get to the district hospital. The little girl died a week later. The contact was traced to the older brother.  The family had not been immunised against Diptheria, Pertussis (whooping cough) and  Typhoid,  further reinforcing the need for effective immunisation.

Health Care worker assessing twins with cough

Whooping cough source - elder brother

Newborns are expected to stay indoors for the first seven days. It is said that to be seen by the 'wrong person' will result in the death of the child. Inevitably this can mean serious illness in the immediate postnatal period can be missed and many children die quite needlessly.
This child had been seen by a Traditional Birthing Attendant and the cord cut with a dirty blade. The raw end had been coated in rust and an abcess had formed , the child weak and with fever. Without the Health Care Workers making it a point to visit all newborns, this child would certainly have died, but did well on intramuscular antibiotics , topical cleaning and the mother of course educated on the merits of good birthing practice, nutrition, immunisation and hygiene.



Weekly talks are given on breastfeeding and these pictures show a mother being taught the merits of exclusive breast feeding and a  Health  Care Worker in discussions with a Traditional Birthing Attendant on ways of working together and the benefits of cleaning the umbilical cord with methylated spirit.


House calls increasingly prove to be effective in building relationships and slowly changing health behaviour. Many mothers have already acknowledged that less children are dying and when poor outcomes are followed by explanation and discussion, trust and understanding follow.
This grandmother came seeking help with an abandoned baby she had taken in, the second picture showing two Health Care Workers on a house call, the relaxed body language of the mother saying more than words can with respect to the visit.

We were delighted to see this young man on camp ,who had his cleft lip repair undertaken by Dr Emmanuel Akpo of Global Mercy Missions  at our last camp.For him this simple operation has transformed his life. 
We are appreciative of the people of Enekorogha community who have built us a landing at the Clinic.

1 month post op on the left, the above photo taken eighteen months ago. Many children with cleft lips are killed at birth, the deformity seen as a curse.

Dr Lawrence Oghumu.