2015 PHOTOTHERAPY PROJECT

Before – The Need

The Sampa District Hospital is a 90-bed facility. This District Hospital serves the Jaman North District, with a population of approximately 90,000. The facility has one MD and 24 RNs. The hospital has been in desperate need of a Phototherapy Machine to assist infants born with a neonatal jaundice condition. Until the implementation of this project, jaundiced infants were transported to another healthcare facility, about an hour drive, and this was only contingent upon the phototherapy machine’s availability at the other facility, at the time of need. And in such instances, infants were placed outdoors in the sunlight, for treatment, but this process introduced the risk of exposure to all the other elements. This was very problematic, given the fragile condition of such neonates.

The Tain District Hospital, a 35-bed facility that serves the Tain District, with a population of about 120,000, had a situation, very similar to that described above. Jaundiced neonates, born at this facility, had to be driven to a medical facility about 40 minutes away for treatment. Again, with no guarantees, that the unit will be available at the time of need. The debilitating impacts on the hospital’s ability to assist such neonates, and the urgency, prompted the hospital management at both these facilities to reach out to CLT for assistance. Moms Against Poverty (MAP) provided funding to make the implementation of this project possible.

Project Impact

The installation of these 2 phototherapy units provides a very critical treatment tool for both the Sampa District and Tain Nsawkaw District Hospitals.

In just the past few weeks since the units were installed, the lives of 5 babies have been saved and the lives of many more babies will be spared, because of this project. This is a result of the generosity of MAP.

The installation of these 2 phototherapy units provides a very critical neo-notal treatment tool for both the Sampa District and Tain Nsawkaw District Hospitals who serve a combined population of approximately 200,000 people. Prior to the implementation of these projects, both hospitals had no phototherapy machines.

Neonatal Jaundice is a usually mild condition in newborns affecting up to 50% of neonates. It is easily treatable with a Neonatal Phototherapy Machine. However, without proper treatment, the condition can be elevated and at higher levels causes brain damage, leading to cerebral palsy and mental handicaps, amongst others. This project is a sure line of defense, for all the precious neo-nates in these 2 districts in Ghana, against the potential for permanent brain damage or mental handicaps, from elevated, untreated jaundiced conditions.

 

PHOTOTHERAPY PROJECT