Southern Ethiopia - Gwent Health Link

Present

Pam Powell (minutes), Peter Smith, Peter Sampson (Chair), Melrose East, Robyn Phillips, Biku Ghosh, Sandy Holt-Wilson, Jill Curtis, Michelle Hall, Jane Hervé, Clare Watts, Tei Sheraton, Huw Davies.

Apologies

Iestyn Harrigan, Dave Williams, Peter Dale, Grace Thomas.

Minutes of last meeting

The minutes of the last meeting were agreed as an accurate record.

Robyn pointed out that she had not helped Melrose with midwifery training on the recent visit to Ethiopia.

Peter Sampson congratulated Pam on the quality of her first minutes.

Matters arising

Vice Chairman:  Wendy Warren has decided to resign from her post as vice-chairman and trustee. Peter Sampson expressed his appreciation and thanks to Wendy for her contribution and involvement in the Link over the last few years. He asked those present to consider applying for this post and to contact him or Biku, if they are interested in this position.

Charitable funds:  Peter Sampson is going to resubmit a bid for charitable funds from the trust for this year. The application will point out the benefits the link brings to the individual and the employer.

Finance: Clare presented the accounts which had been prepared by Alison Griffiths. These showed an estimated balance at 30/06/09 of £3,738.62. This year we also have funding of £8,000 from WAG, and £8,000 from the Hedley Trust. We are also owed £6,000 in Gift Aid which has not been paid. Clare is going to seek to resolve this. Added to this we will also have fund-raising for this year and Payroll Giving of approximately £3,500 per annum. It is hoped that this will be paid regularly when we get charitable status and hence our own bank account.

Midwifery Workshop:  This was held on 9th June in Nevill Hall. 12 people attended of which 10 had visited developing countries in Africa. There were 4 apologies. There were 6 presentations in the morning from individuals involved in Somaliland, Sierra Leone, Timbuktu and Ethiopia. Other sessions included Millennium Development Goals and the causes of maternal mortality which was led by Melrose and Robyn. In the afternoon there was a structured workshop presented by Lynn McDonnell using questions and flip boards. Robyn has suggested holding further workshops with a wider subject matter in order to quantify the benefits to employee and employer.

Orphans: We have not moved any further, but Biku is attempting to contact SOS for children. He has emailed the Ethiopian headquarters in Addis Ababa, and there is an office in Awassa. When he gets more information, Dr.Aberra will make enquiries locally. It may then be most appropriate for Yirga Cheffe and Wondo Genet to contact them directly. Robyn talked of a young man she met at Wondo Genet in October 2007 who was a student at the Forestry College at Wondo Genet. He has started a charity in his own village and supports 12 orphans in the village environment. Although she personally, or the health link, are unable to give support to this, she wondered if we would be able to find someone to take this on as a charity.

Community link: There has not been much further progress due to difficulties in communication, although letters and photographs have been exchanged between the schools and churches here, with those in Yirga Cheffe. These were taken by Biku during the March visit and since then via the students to Ethiopia from UK.

Wales for Africa health Links Conference: This is on Wednesday 1st July at the All Nations Centre, Cardiff. Melrose and Robyn are doing a breakout session which is a workshop entitled ‘Moving from hospital to the community’. Biku urged people to register.

Wales for Africa Health Links Report: This was presented on 9th June at the Senedd Building and was hosted by Biku and attended by Peter Sampson, Peter Smith, Melrose and Robyn. Biku spoke as Chairman of the Wales for Africa Health Links, and Edwina Hart spoke as Health Minister. During discussions with the First Minister, various ministers and assembly members, Biku and the others were encouraged by the interest and support shown. Peter Sampson gave out copies of the report to those present at the meeting.

Motorbike ambulance: These are still proving very successful. The Alaba one is travelling up to 40km to collect mothers, and has been used 45 times using a volunteer driver. Yirga Cheffe has had fuel and driver problems but this has been resolved. The ambulance is only been used in daytime. The driver is paid 350 Birr per month but wants 500 Birr to cover nights and weekends. The link has decided to pay this extra to ensure that the ambulance is used at all times when needed. In Wondo Genet one of the drivers (not a Health centre staff) has caused problems, whereas the other is very good, but it is hoped to resolve this soon. It has been used to take mothers from the Health Centre back to their family.

Charitable Status: The application for charitable status has been sent off and we are awaiting approval.

Link activities in 2009/10: Since the last visit, Biku, Robyn and Tei have been to a meeting about reducing maternal and child mortality in different countries. At the second meeting Biku spoke about what was needed in Ethiopia. Prior to this Biku contacted the Ministry, the Regional Health Bureau, Dr.Aberra and Wondo Genet Health Centre, to ask what they thought a small to medium size NGO like ours could offer. They felt the most important was the training of the midwives, training of the trainers and support for the Health Extension Workers and help with resources. They also loved the motorbike ambulances and would like to see more of these.

After recent discussions with the Health Centres, Dr.Aberra, and the Head of Training, they were asked what help they felt they needed for this year. The next visit is planned for 23rd October, and the following list of objectives has been compiled following this.

• Maternal and Child health.
  • Training the trainers, 4 midwifery schools in the region schools x 3 trainers from each
  • Midwives CME workshop (including neonatal care) - 30.
  • Training community Health Extension Workers in Health centres- max of 300
  • Training material, manikins, CD’s.
  • Essential equipment - ventouse, resuscitation kits.
  • ?Motorbike ambulance
• Health officers
  • CME workshop, max-20
  • MSc in Emergency surgery and Obstetrics- support with skills course
  • CRISP course, Basic surgical skills course, Primary Trauma Care course, Fracture course.
• Anaesthetic nurses
  • Skills workshop to be arranged by the Mothers of Africa charity with the link support.
  • Training of Theatre nurses
  • Developing a programme
• Laboratory
  • To revisit Histopathology and Microbiology laboratories.
  • To review/support malaria diagnosis in the Health Centres in particular Alaba and Wondo Genet.
• Anatomy teaching.
  • For medical students, training the trainers for teaching anatomy at the college and developing anatomy modular course for future. An eminent Anatomy Professor of the country has agreed to visit for this for two weeks with the link.
• Evaluation of health centres.
  • A comparison with unsupported Health Centres and explore the possible expansion of Exemplar Health Centre programme.
  • Learning from each other workshop
  • Both in Wales and in Ethiopia

Any other business:

Jane asked if the members who went on the March/April 2008 visit wanted to go out for a reunion, get-together, which she would arrange.

Pete Smith put forward a fund raising suggestion for an evening of dance and music which could be held in the Hospital social club. This would include dancers and a band, who are all willing to do this free of charge. 

Sandy expressed his congratulations to those who went on the last visit, for their achievements, and the material and information they brought back. He also offered assistance and support with any problems encountered in relation to eye surgery, including equipment, advice and training.

Biku reported that Peter Dale has had problems obtaining special study leave to go to Ethiopia with the Link. It was suggested that a meeting be arranged with the Gwent Trust directors to put our point across and clarify the situation regarding this.

The recent visit from two students from Ethiopia was very successful and they thoroughly enjoyed the visit. They went to the Senned with the others, visited the laboratory, and attended a student examination. Sandy took them to a fair and were taken out for the evenings by others. They also visited London on the way back.

This is the tenth year since the Link started and Biku suggested that we could have a celebration of this occasion and extend the invitation to those organisations which have been involved during this time, e.g. THET. This was agreed to be organised in early 2010.

Date of next meeting:

Next meeting will be held on Tuesday, September 8th in the Education Centre, Nevill Hall Hospital at 5:15 pm.