The German–Eritrean project involving University Hospital Cologne and Orotta Hospital in Asmara, Eritrea, plans to establish a paediatric intensive care unit at the Eritrean hospital. Hospital staff are also set to receive training in critical care and treatment for children.
Background:
Orotta Hospital in the Eritrean capital Asmara is the largest hospital in this East African country, yet its paediatric intensive care unit does not have the infrastructure or technical equipment it needs to provide adequate treatment for its paediatric patients. Neither are the doctors and nurses sufficiently trained in paediatric cardiology and post-operative care.
Activities:
-\tEquipping the paediatric intensive care unit with the devices it needs
-\tTraining nurses in infusion therapy and dietetics, as well as hygiene standards and resuscitation procedures
-\tTraining doctors to carry out ultrasound and cardiac screening
Impact:
The aim of renovating and developing the paediatric intensive care unit is to improve levels of hygiene in the unit. A paediatric intensive care unit at Orotta Hospital will improve medical care for children of all ages and enable more children to access the services provided. In the long term, this should reduce morbidity and child mortality.