The COVID-19 pandemic has affected every country in the world, including Tanzania. Considering the large percentage of Tanzanian citizens with chronic diseases such as Malaria, Tuberculosis, HIV, Hypertension, Diabetes and other immunodeficiency diseases, the scarce or often non-existent presence of health materials and resources, the scarce presence of specialized health personnel and economic resources, the risk of the virus spreading with serious and irreversible consequences is high.
The first case of COVID-19 in Tanzania dates back to March 16, 2020 and, if during the first months of the pandemic spread the official data were very limited and subsequently never updated by the Tanzanian Government, the situation is progressively worsening throughout the country.
According to research carried out on the territory, the national health system has 120 beds in equipped intensive care units (100 in Dar es Salaam and 20 located in the rest of the country). Regional facilities are not able to cope with an emergency situation like the one that is affecting Western countries.
Therefore, prevention is essential to limit the spread of the virus. The Nyololo Rural Health Center has an isolation department for all patients with infectious and/or viral diseases. In the event of a possible spread of the COVID-19 virus, the Center is able to isolate patients suspected and/or positive for the virus. However, it is not possible to hospitalize patients in serious conditions who require a bed in intensive care.
To date, the Nyololo Health Center can only guarantee healthcare to COVID patients with respiratory diseases that can be treated with the use of oxygen and masks only, but not patients with serious breathing difficulties. It was possible to create a network of connections with other NGOs operating in hospitals located in the Iringa Region equipped for the treatment of COVID+ patients (including the Regional Hospital of Iringa which has 8 intensive care beds available for the admission of COVID patients in serious conditions). Thanks to the financial support of the CEI, during 2020 we purchased medical devices and health supplies intended for the prevention of the spread of the Covid-19 virus, an activity that continues incessantly this year too, after the resumption of infections to deal with the COVID-19 emergency.
During the 3 months of the project, the Nyololo Rural Health Center was able to purchase the following health supplies:
- Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and disinfectants: Surgical masks, Non-surgical gloves, Protective face shields, Rubber boots, Disposable aprons and disposable, Plastic bags for infectious waste, Alcohol 96%, Glycerin/alcohol solution, Sodium hypochlorite, Liquid soap;
- Equipment: Pulse oximeters, Oxygen concentrators, Infrared thermometers, Oxygen masks for adults and children; boxygen bottles.
During the emergency, thanks to the collaboration of all healthcare personnel, pandemic management protocols were created: people who went to the Center had to undergo an initial screening upon entry; following a rotation, healthcare personnel equipped with PPE, equipped with an infrared thermometer and homemade sanitizer, measured the temperature of all patients and directed people with a temperature above 37.5 to an isolation area where two nurses were responsible for carrying out a second test (questionnaire to verify the possibility of direct contact or not with people positive or suspected positive for COVID) to exclude or confirm any possible contagion. In case of a positive questionnaire, the patient was visited by the referring doctor and possibly subjected to a swab.
Screening activities are still ongoing at Nyololo Hospital where COVID-19 positive cases have recently been isolated.
