The History of St. Benedict’s Hospital Ndanda can well be traced Soon after the Maji-Maji Upraising against the Germany colonial occupation in which all mission stations in southern German East Africa (Tanganyika) were destroyed, the missionary Benedictine Congregation of Ottilien, Germany, decided to set up a new mission station which would become the central Mission station for South Eastern Area of the country.
On the 15th August 1906, a mission cross was planted at Ndanda for the new station. Soon after the arrival of the Benedictine Monks of St. Ottilien, the Missionary Sisters of the Congregation of Tutzing (Germany) also came to Ndanda in 1908.
These Sisters started to care for the sick. Therefore they set up a small hospital in Ndanda.
The first world war (1914-1918) affected Ndanda in 1917 and this was in Nyangao 40 km from Ndanda, killing 3000 soldiers and wounding 8000. So during these days of the war the hospital was serving as a Military Hospital.
The Allied forces fighting then forced the congregations to leave the country which stalled life in Ndanda. However in 1920 Swiss members of the congregation were allowed to return and work picked up again.
In 1926, the Old hospital was demolished and a new one constructed and opened in 1927 which still serves as First Grade Ward (ward 12) at the hospital. 1027 marked the arrival of Sr. Dr. Thecla Stinnesbeck who served the community for 35 years and opened 23 health facilities in the region including the now present hospital at Nyangao and Mnero.
When Dr. Thecla came, she Immediately started training local citizens in Tanganyika and hence the opening of the Dispenser School in 1930.
In this training school, midwives were trained but it was short lived due to the start of the Second world war in 1940 , which stalled work in Ndanda and forced the Missionaries out of the country.
After world war two these people came back and started training the locals again, where midwives and B-nurses were trained and passed out. Since 1994 the Ndanda school Nursing and Midwifery trains and passes out Diploma Nurses and Midwifes. This school is integrated in the St. Benedict’s Hospital and still occupies its accommodation built in 1965 in the compound of the hospital.
Ndanda School of Nursing and Midwifery:
Having a mix of experiences and expertise in different fields, this blends well with the health trainers need of our time. And this has been evidenced by the quality of nurses that go through the school.
Our students have been employed by governments, Volunteers health organisations and Ndanda Hospital.
School of Nursing and Midwifery
In 1970 a new Hospital building was opened followed by many including the very new Theatre complex opened in 2004 and the VCT/CTC building opened August 2007.
Beds:
The Hospital having grown from no bed to 103 beds in 1945, had developed and has 300 official beds today.
The MCH Services:
Having the best and biggest facility in region,This has given mothers a comfortable place For having their new born babies. 3– wards Are allocated for only these mothers i.e. Anti-natal, Labour, and post-natal. With routine professional staff under the Command of a Nurse in-charge make Ndanda the right place to have your God given gift.
We have patient monitoring equipment, Which tells us how many babies have been Born on an hourly basis. Doublers, MVA Machines, Oxygen concentrators for what is Known as asphyxiated babied and other machinery like the suction machine. With power not being a problem though in a remote place, we have had referrals from the nearby hospitals that are disturbed by the same.
Dispensaries
In order to serve its clients well the hospital has opened two satellite Dispensaries, at Nangoo which was opened in 1987 and Chikundi Dispensary built in 1995.
Other Developments:
· 12 First Aid stations have been established between 1980 and 1993 to bring health care services nearer to the masses in the catchment area.
· Since 1986, the hospital has embraced primary healthcare where it runs primary healthcare and community based healthcare programmes in 24 villages. These activities vary from school health Education activities, follow up on traditional birth attendants, prevention of blindness programmes , to mobile mother to child healthcare and immunisation outreaches.
And so has been Ndanda St. Benedict’s Hospital.
As mentioned in the developments of the hospital, the hospital has developed from no bed to having 300 official beds to date. And this is due to the various services that the hospital offers to the patients. And among these they include the following departments.
1. The general Outpatient Unit
2. The private Outpatient Section
3. RCH-Clinic
4. The Tuberculosis Unit (referral centre)
5. Paediatric Unit
6. Isolation Unit
7. Physiotherapeutic Unit
8. Maternity
9. The major operation Theatre Complex
10. Fully Fledged Pharmacy
11. Dental clinic
12. Eye Clinic
13. Blood transfusion Services Unit
14. Laboratory
15. X-ray Department
16. Clinical Pastoral Social Unit
17. Nurses and Midwifery Training School
18. Ophthalmic Unit.
On the 1st of September 2005, the Hospital officially started Care and Treatment services to HIV-infected patients, by distribution of Anti-retroviral drugs (ARV’s). The possibility for people to receive treatment and prolong their lives, has had a very positive effect on the acceptance of the disease, and the reduction of stigma and discrimination. People are more willing to get tested for HIV, and to disclose their status.
Dental Clinic:
Being Under command of another Qualified Dentist Sr. Gemma Masawe, being assisted by other dental staff , we offer services e.g Oral heath education, Oral health Instructions, Emergence Dental Treatment eg, Alveolar traumas. Restorative Dentistry: We do Non Surgical root canal treatment, Surgical root canal treatment ( orthograde and Retrograde)
Ndanda Hospital Care and Treatment Centre for PLWHA
This information is curtesy of Dr. Francijn Van Eeklen who worked as HIV programs coordinator for the centre for two years.
On the 1st of September 2005, the Hospital officially started Care and Treatment services to HIV-infected patients, by distribution of Anti-retroviral drugs (ARV’s).
The possibility for people to receive treatment and prolong their lives, has had a very positive effect on the acceptance of the disease, and the reduction of stigma and discrimination. People are more willing to get tested for HIV, and to disclose their status. People who were very ill, and who lost all hopes of life, are feeling healthy and strong again.
On 10th August 2007 the HIV services have been integrated into a new building, which was opened by the Regional Commissioner of Mtwara and blessed by the Catholic Bishop of Mtwara. With an enthusiastic and motivated team of counselors, clinicians and administrative staff, many patients are helped and given good quality HIV care and treatment.
The HIV services :
· Voluntary Counselling and Testing
· Care and Treatment
· Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission
· Sensitisation of Hospital staff and Traditional Healers and Traditional Birth Attendants
1) Voluntary Counselling and Testing (VCT)
The Hospital offers VCT services for more than 10 years.
Since the start of offering ARV’s (September ’05) the number of patients being counseled and tested has dramatically increased. The total number of patients tested in 2005 was 350. This is less than the number of patients currently tested monthly.
2) Care and Treatment
Patients are treated according to the Tanzanian NACP (link) guidelines.
HIV-patients start Anti-Retroviral Treatment (ART) when the immune defense has drastically fallen, or when they have symptoms of AIDS.
Once started, people will have to continue their medication for the rest of their lives – taking medication twice per day. If the first line drugs fail to work, due to resistance, the patient can switch to second-line drugs. Patients are frequently seen by a nurse-counselor or clinician: once per month or 2 months.
To check if the medication still works, the immune defense is measured 2x/year, by testing CD4. St. Benedict’s Hospital tests CD4 samples from other adjacent Hospitals and Health Centers in our state of the art Laboratory
First line drugs:
Stavudine, Zidovudine, Lamivudine, Nevirapine, Efavirenz
Second-line drugs:
Abacavir, Lopinavir/ritonavir, Didanosine
3) Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission:
Since June 2006, all pregnant women are tested for HIV, during antenatal care or delivery, unless they refuse (opt out system).
The Hospital provides medication for the HIV-positive pregnant woman, in order to reduce the chance of transmission of the virus to the child. The child can become infected during pregnancy (10%), labour (15%) and breastfeeding (10-15%). If no medication is given, there is a chance of 40% that the child becomes HIV-positive.
Since May 2008 the PMTCT regime has been strengthened by extending the duration and number of drugs, thereby reducing the chance of HIV-transmission to 10%!
The nurses at MCH and Maternity ward are very dedicated to their work, trying to prevent the disease from spreading to the next generation!
4) Sensitisation of Hospital staff and Traditional Healers and Traditional Birth Attendants
The Hospital finds it important that all staff have a good knowledge on HIV, how to protect themselves and to decrease stigma and discrimination of HIV-positive staff and patients. It conducted therefore an internal training (2007) for all hospital staff (300 people). This has resulted in more HIV-positive staff being open about their status, more staff willing to be tested, and better care of HIV-positive patients.
The VCT and CTC works hand in hand with the hospital’s Community and home based care and treatment.
Continuum of Care
The Hospital promotes a Continuum of Care for the HIV-patient – this means integrated care from Home to the Hospital.
There are strong links between the community HIV-project of Ndanda Parish “UZIMA” and the hospital.
UZIMA delivers Home Based Care and Prevention and Awareness Activities to villages surrounding the Hospital.
To read more about Home based care prevention and Awareness please click below:
· Home Based Care, Prevention and Awareness
Development Partners:
Our HIV services have been financially and materially supported by many donors:
· Global Fund
· Clinton Foundation ,
· Rapid Funding Envelope,
The programme delivered by the Hospital and Ndanda Parish in 2006-2008 has been acknowledged as a RFE Success Story
- Elisabeth Glaser Paediatric AIDS Foundation
- Global Fund , Missio Aachen , Abbey Ndanda
Without their great support, we would never have been able to serve our patients as we do.
The Community Based Care Project (UZIMA Project):
Uzima means “Health, well-being”in Kiswahili which is taken as the national language in most East Africa Countries. The project was launched on 1st December 2006 on World AIDS Day as a result of close cooperation between the Hospital and the Roman Catholic Parish of Ndanda.
The Continuum of Care Programme covers Ndanda parish (20,000) in the diocese of Mtwara, plans to extend in 2009 to the adjacent parishes, thus covering a total population of 50,000 within two government wards.
Volunteers and patients reflect the population as a whole, which is fairly evenly balanced between Muslims and Christians. Uzima is a demonstration project for the diocese.
The Parish, with its long standing good relations with the Communities, was able to quickly mobilize village leaders and community members in support of two aims :
1) care and prevention of HIV AIDS. As a result people discovered their own strength in helping their communities. The first volunteers were trained and working by March 2007. The link with the village leaders continues with regular feedback and consultation on any developments.
Home Based Care
90 active volunteers care for nearly 500 patients with long term conditions, especially those with HIV AIDS. Training and ongoing supervision are provided by two nurse supervisors from the Hospital for the Continuum of Care. Treatment and nutrition support are provided for the most needy patients. For capacity building each village has a small Emergency Fund which volunteers priorities for other needs e.g. grass roofing. For 2009 there will be an enhanced focus on Most Vulnerable Children living with grandmothers or in extended families.
Prevention
18 volunteers trained in behavior change and drama support a range of activities:
Primary Schools: a two term programme of information and awareness, is followed by setting up a health club offering sport and other activities.
Secondary Schools and Vocational Training School: a 12 week course called Stepping Stones is provided on behavior change. This will be followed by HIV AIDS testing and setting up of a health club.
Village events: for all age groups, with information and drama, and HIV AIDS testing provided by Hospital CTC staff. Mobile outreach funding has made it possible to extend these activities into new villages within the planned area of expansion.
Other activities: seminars have been held for village leaders and all faiths represented in the locality on the basis of information giving and guidance on ‘What can you do?’ to prevent HIV AIDS.
Nearly 100 people living with HIV Aids (Tumaini group) were encouraged to speak out and provide their powerful testimony as part of preventing HIV AIDS in the region.
