Southern Ethiopia - Gwent Health Link

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One of the key aspects of the Link’s work is the Exemplar Health Centre project whereby the Link works with Ethiopian partners to develop the health centres in Wondogenet, Alaba and Yirgacheffe into centres of excellence. My role in this visit was to discuss and agree with Ethiopian colleagues some draft standards and criteria that might define an ‘exemplar’ health centre within an Ethiopian context.  I also worked with them on the ongoing monitoring and evaluation of standards within each health centre, collecting evidence of change/improvement and making recommendations for future actions/work. At the end of the visit I will use my observations and recommendations, as well as those of my Link colleagues, to write a working report for each health centre which will help to focus action and objectives for the next six months.
Drawing on discussions held in each health centre during the visit I drafted some working guidelines for use of the newly donated motorbike ambulances over the initial six month period.
I acted as scribe and general ‘recorder of information’ throughout the visit, accompanying Biku (Gwent Link co-ordinator) to meetings, taking notes, recording team debriefing and feedback sessions and taking photographs to record events, for example the handover of equipment and donation of the two motorbike ambulances. I tried to capture the daily activities of Link colleagues and changes being made in the health centres. My field notes will be a record of work undertaken during the visit.
With my colleagues, I witnessed the ceremony for presentation of the motorbike ambulances for the health centres in Yirgacheffe and Alaba. It was humbling to witness the gratitude of Ethiopian partners and the local communities and a privilege to be part of the celebrations. Other equipment and resources were also greatly valued.
In addition to the work in the health centres I led two sessions in the CME skills workshop for nurses and midwives and accompanied Biku and Link colleagues to meetings with Woreda officers, Mayors, community representatives, Zonal officials and others.

I have some clear impressions of this visit: the commitment and enthusiasm of the staff in each of the three health centres and the changes they have been able to make in a relatively short period of time; their desire to learn and work with us; the warmth of their welcome and their hospitality; leadership in the three health centres is at different stages of development but there is huge potential in all; the reaction of the staff and communities to receipt of resources and equipment, particularly on this occasion the motorbike ambulances, but equally their appreciation of our continued support and the feeling that we are working together as colleagues to achieve change; the scale of difficulty for Ethiopia as a whole in achieving its policy targets for healthcare across the nation.

Working with the Link has enabled me to put into practice something I have wanted to do for a long time. I particularly value the partnership approach of the Gwent/Ethiopia Link where the emphasis of the work is on facilitation and enabling local ownership of change. I see this to be a real strength of the Link and a key factor in its sustainability and success. It is a real privilege to be part of the team. It is also good to be able to see where scarce resources are spent, to know that they are used solely for the benefit of the Ethiopian people and to use this information to generate awareness and support for the Link’s work from friends and family.
 In this visit, it was a privilege to witness the ceremony for the donation of the motorbike ambulances in which we all received a gift of Ethiopian costume and to be welcomed as a friend in each health centre. I enjoyed the contact with local people but wished I spoke even a little Amharic. I have learnt a great deal from my colleagues and enjoyed their companionship and support. It feels good to think that what I do might make some very, very small contribution to the improvement in health care provision in a country with few of the basic privileges I often take for granted.

My employer will benefit from my renewed enthusiasm for insisting on quality and standards. I have always been fairly adaptable but stepping outside one’s own workplace and comfortable life style enables you to refocus on priorities and issues that matter on your return. My experience with the Link has confirmed for me that this is an avenue of work I wish to pursue further.

With my Link colleagues, I will continue to work with and support staff in the three health centres to enable them to achieve the standards for an ‘exemplar’ health centre. I will also try to increase the awareness of others of the needs in Ethiopia and how they may contribute to meeting these.
I would like to master more than two words of Amharic (currently ‘thank you’ and ‘ok’) before my next visit and have purchased a text book on ‘Amharic for foreign learners’.