building a future...

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We Have a Big Dream and We Need Your Help!

Blue Nile Children's Organization is run by a small staff and volunteers, both in Seattle and in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Many of our projects can be benefited by additional volunteers or interns. If you are interested in working for BNCO or would like to comment or ask questions please contact us!

ROMC and the BNCO Health Education Project (HEP) aim to provide primary and preventive health care and health education programs to Kolfe-Keranio sub-city, kebele 15/16. ROMC is initially being licensed as a Medium General Clinic, and will eventually also serve as the seat of the HEP. Initially, ROMC will not provide labor and delivery services, but in the future hopes to hire sufficient midwives to staff a 24-hour, low-risk labor and delivery service.

 

ROMC staff will provide care year-round, and will also screen patients to receive care from Mission volunteers. Services provided during annual November Missions will be free, and the poorest and sickest patients will be prioritized to receive care. The rest of the year, services will be provided for fees comparable to those charged by MOH (public) facilities in Addis Ababa. In the long run, ROMC hopes to introduce a fee structure that is novel in Ethiopia - an income-based sliding scale - which would provide free, MOH-priced, or NGO-priced services, based on ability to pay. This would allow ROMC to serve the poorest of patients, while reducing dependence on foreign donors.

 

As a Medium General Clinic, ROMC must maintain a staff of at least: i
1 Health Officer or General Practitioner as Director
1 Clinical Nurse or Health Assistant
1 Laboratory Technician

 

ROMC has a waiting room, a cashier and records room, a pharmacy, a laboratory, three examination rooms, an imaging room, a room for dressing and injection, a storage room, and two rooms where patients can be observed overnight. There is also a building with quarters for visiting providers. During the time of the Mission trips, additional examination rooms can be set up in temporary structures.

 

At a Medium General Clinic, providers are allowed to: i
-examine and treat patients, and prescribe drugs
-order laboratory and X-ray examination and treat according to results obtained
-examine pregnant women and render service of delivery
-perform minor surgery
-refer patients who need higher treatment to a higher medical institution
-render other services allowed to their category of profession

 

Patients with obstetric, family planning and gynecology needs that are beyond the scope and resources of ROMC can be referred to the nearest Marie Stopes clinic. Patients that need to be hospitalized will be referred to the MOH district hospital, Ras-Desta. Sick patients can be transported in a BNCO vehicle or given cab fare. Ras-Desta welcomes referring providers from ROMC to make rounds on their patients and provide continuity of care. Volunteer providers may be asked to provide ongoing professional education to Ras-Desta and Marie Stopes providers (in addition to ROMC staff), to strengthen our referral relationships.

 

Initially, ROMC will only keep and use emergency medications. Eventually ROMC will employ a druggist or pharmacist, which will allow the clinic to dispense regular medications. To start, patients will have to take their prescriptions to be filled at Drug Shops or Pharmacies. This may create a major barrier for sick patients with poor transportation options to obtain medications, so Missions may provide runners to facilitate pharmacy purchases.

 

Drugs and supplies that MOH requires clinics to have on hand for emergencies (as part of the licensing requirements) are: i

 

Adrenaline injections
Aminophylline injections
Savlon (Chlorhexidine + Cetrimide)
Alcohol solution 79%
Dextrose 40% injection
Ergometrine maleate injection tabs
Lidocaine hydrochloride injection
Vitamin K injection
Hyoscine hydropromide injection/Dyprone injection
Bandages
Cotton
Disposable syringes and needles
IV fluid bags
TAT 1500 IU
Promethoazine injection

 

A Department of MOH, the Drug Administration and Control Authority (DACA) of Ethiopia, plays a role similar to that of the FDA. They publish a National Formulary, with approved drugs and treatment guidelines, which the BNCO has in print copy in Seattle. It is available for check-out to registered participants. If you have the opportunity to obtain donated medicines, and would like to confirm that the donation is approved for use in Ethiopia, contact the BNCO Seattle office to check the formulary.

 

The Clinic Director and an administrative volunteer at ROMC are compiling a list of medications that are actually available at the pharmacies our patients will use. It will be posted when available.

 

Many potential Mission participants are curious what equipment will be available for them to carry out their work. This is somewhat dependent on donations.

 

Our first donation shipment contained these items.The BNCO Clinic Wishlist describes the items we would like to have. Feel free to share it with potential donors, suggest avenues for procurement, or suggest additional supplies or equipment to include.

 

Equipment Medium General Clinics must have, for licensing purposes, are: i

 

Examination beds
Examination lights
*Otoscopes
*Reflex hammers
*Sphygmomanometers
*Stethoscopes
Autoclave
Scale up to 150kg w/height measure
Microscope
Centrifuge
Sedimentation rack
Hemoglobinometer
Cell counter set
Microscope slides
Test tubes
Sirit/Bunsen Burner
Pipettes for WBC
Infusion stands
Round basins
Kidney dishes
Forceps jars
Clinical thermometers
Tongue depressors
Wash basins
Tourniquets
Syringes and needles
Dressing instruments and suture sets
Instrument trays
Catheters
Delivery kits
Delivery beds
Sealed shelf

 

Medical Mission participants are asked to bring the items marked with a * for their own use. We also ask for one of your checked luggage items to be a box of medications or supplies.

 

i Ministry of Health 2nd Amended Directive on Licensing Private Clinics