Mon 30th January 2012

100% PATIENT NUMBERS RISE IN GOLI!

In the last six months of 2011, there were 341 in patients at Goli hospital whereas, for the same six months immediately after the wards were opened, there were 172 inpatients. This is a very encouraging increase of almost 100%. A total of 563 inpatients received care in 2011. Malaria continues to be the major factor for admission.

Although a more modest increase was seen in outpatient numbers which rose to 6,088, a rise of just 6%, there were encouraging developments with the antenatal classes. An average of 27 women attended antenatal classes each month. Though this sounds low to western ears, this is an encouraging start in such a poor and uneducated community.

Intermittent Preventative Therapy (IPT) is a World Health Organisation (WHO) recommendation for all pregnant women in high risk malaria areas. This includes a pregnancy-safe anti-malaria drug with vitamin supplements of iron and folic. If a mother suffers from malaria during pregnancy, it is shown to cause low birth weight, maternal anaemia, miscarriage, still birth and neo-natal death. In South Sudan, only 40% of women receive any form of antenatal care; all women attending Goli’s antenatal classes receive the recommended doses of IPT and the 3 month course of vitamin supplements.

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