Parque Nacional da Gorongosa Moçambique

Mobile Clinic Provides Health Care

Jul 15, 2009 - Gorongosa National Park

Gorongosa National Park (GNP) has provided mobile clinic services to the communities located far away from a health center since the middle part of last year, under the Social and Health Program of the Department of Human Development.

The Mobile Health Unit traverses two regular areas, namely Chicare and Nganguo, in Gorongosa district, benefiting the local communities with medical assistance.  The clinic functions under the National Health Service.

The program provides basic health care to the population that lives in remote areas far from a health unit with the goal of reducing illnesses and the roots of mortality in the region. 

According to one of the staff members of the Mobile Clinic Service, nurse Nildo Sulemane Chigavale, the populations benefit from basic triage and counseling as well as health tests (rapid HIV test).

The mother and child clinics are equally privileged in program activities, namely prenatal clinics, VT (Prevention of Vertical Transmission) of HIV from mother to child, and consultations for healthy infants to identify their dietary health and general health.

A source explained that the Mobile Health Clinic has standard medicines like antibiotics and other prophylactics to attend the needs of their patients. 

According to another source, the medical aid and medical resources is loaned only for mornings, twice a week, dispersed in each consultation center. 

"We have clinical services in two places, specifically Nhambita and Mbulaua, facilitating the local people with difficulties accessing health services since the health unit in Púnguè is more than 20 km from some of these communities" – referred Chigavale. 

"During a typical morning the patients are seen in our outpatient clinic.  We see an average of 60 patients suffering from mainly malaria, diarrhea, intestinal parasitizes, pneumonia, bilharzia and other illnesses" – he added.

Without knowing the total number of patients seen since the beginning of the Mobile Health Clinic, Chigavale said that his team already observed many patients suffering from several pathologies, consequently helping to improve the quality of life of the recipient communities. 

For example, in Mbulaua there are a large number of patients at the GNP Mobile Health Clinic, from infants to adults.  This is evidenced by the long queues of patients waiting to be seen.

Beyond the services referred to above, it also conducts community health campaigns like lectures about the preventive practices for diarrhea and the infectious contagions that cause HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and others. 

The mother and child health program

The mother and child health program continually developed by the GNP Mobile Health Service has contributed to reducing the most common problems faced by women during pregnancy and postpartum, as well as by babies, despite the existence of considerable cases of malnutrition in local infants. 

According to a nurse, Maria Antónia Ferrão, the permanent support of pregnant women and newborns guarantees good health of the mothers and the healthy growth of the respective children.

In the area of pediatrics, the health technician analyzes the infant’s growth and general development.  They measure the weight, supply basic knowledge about hygiene and clothing, encourage breast-feeding, and monitoring the growth and development of the infants. 

According to our source, when infants arrive at the consulting room they are weighed and pass through triage to be evaluated for their dietary health. 

Nevertheless, the nutritional condition of many children is unsatisfactory and their weight unstable. Cases of moderate malnutrition treated with a supplement of soy porridge are frequent.  On the other hand, there are some severe cases that are transferred to the District of Gorongosa Health Center where they receive more specialized treatment. 

Fighting childhood malnutrition

In the district of Gorongosa the occurrence of malnutrition is very common in individuals of early age.  Many infants are malnourished, with low weight and many newborns face critical problems, despite the zone having an abundance of food. 

"Frequently, we see moderately malnourished infants, despite the region being a potential food producer and without grave hunger problems.  I think that the mothers have not followed the diets recommended for their children because there is no reason for malnutrition to exist here when there is so much food in Gorongosa, granary of the province of Sofala,” said Maria Antónia Ferrão.

The GNP Mobile Health Unit is determined to lessen these cases in the communities where it operates. 

As strategy for the moderately malnourished patients, soy flour is distributed. Soy is rich in vegetable protein and very important in fighting childhood malnutrition.  In critical cases the patients are transferred to the Gorongosa Health Center, in the headquarters of the district, where they receive more specialized medical attention.

As stated by Maria Antónia Ferrão, each moderately malnourished infant receives 9kg of flour per month with all the necessary nutrients for childhood development. 

The soy distributed is donated by the World Food Program (WFP) in coordination with the District Service of Health, Women and Social Action of Gorongosa. 

Prevention of malaria

The GNP Mobile Health Unit service is also implementing community-mobilizing activities for the prevention of malaria.  In this way, it collaborates effectively with the national health authorities in helping combat this disease through making people aware of best practices, especially environmental hygiene, prevention, and treatment. 

This is an action that gives rural communities that are isolated from healthcare the necessary means to be able to prevent malaria.

In this context, according to Maria Antónia Ferrão, the program distributes free high quality impregnated mosquito nets to pregnant woman during their first prenatal consultation.

The objective is to prevent pregnant women, with weakened immunity, and the infant from getting malaria.  Malaria is one of the biggest causes of hospital admissions and of mortality in the country. 

Satisfied population 
 
The Mobile Clinic is integrated in the GNP Community Health Program and many interesting statements exist showing the importance of it and the need for medical attention for a population that lives in zones isolated from hospitals.

Ester Tomás, who came to the Mobile Health Clinic a few days ago with her two year old daughter, Anora Félix, said that is commendable that GNP brings health services to the Mbulaua community.

In addition, the mother explained that because the community did not have a health center, the people had to journey to Púnguè or to the town center of Gorongosa.  These are very distant zones, and because of the large stream of patients found at the clinics, it would be impossible for them to return home on the same day.

Similarly, Amélia Wanda, a young mother that came to the clinic, in Mbulaua, a while ago to measure the weight of her baby (Ester Damião, 1 month old), explained that the implementation of this initiative is a big relief for the local population. 

"The community was crying for a health service to take care of it and with the help of the Park we can see our concern was mostly resolved.  Well done, Park.  Well done,” added Amélia Wanda.

João Miquisse Gil, local leader of the village of Mbulaua, said that before, people went through a lot to find health services.  They traversed long distances to reach the health center in Púnguè and to the district health center in the headquarters of the district, with the added task of traveling on foot many kilometers to reach the National Road number 1, where transport picks up for Púnguè and town. 

"Now we are satisfied with the health of the population, especially of the elders with difficulties of locomotion, it is now guaranteed with the Park’s Mobile Unit, concludes Gil. 

Generally, those interviewed praised the professional service of the work staff in the GNP Mobile Clinic for patients. 

However, they asked for an increase in the number of weekly visits from two to three or four days. 


Carlitos Sunza
GNP Communications Department