On a trip in 2019, Inter Care visits a large facility called Tsangano Health Centre which supports a catchment of 22,700. This does not include patients that come over from the Mozambique border. It was obvious that this facility was facing many challenges. The team spoke to Sr Bernadette to find out more.
Sr Bernadette, can you tell us about the challenges you are facing?
The Health Centre is under resourced and issues arise from being on the boundary with Mozambique. Lots of patients come from Mozambique making the catchment area significantly larger than it is officially. Also, there are lots of incidents of fighting in the local bars between men from Malawi and Mozambique, and many are treated at the nearby hospital as a result from violence, sometimes knife wounds.
Sr Bernadette tells us more about her background.
Sr Bernadette has worked at another Health Centre for 3 months and was moved to Tsangano. She thinks it could be possible that she could be asked to move again any time soon. Sr Bernadette would like to stay longer as she has built strong relationships with her patients and feels she could make a difference at the Health Centre.
How Inter Care helps Tsangano Health Centre
To advance Sr Bernadette’s knowledge, training and experience, she would like to study a pharmacy qualification, or at least go on a training course. However, she doesn’t know how to go about this, and whether she could secure the
funding to do so. Inter Care can provide medical books for Sr Bernadette to learn more about pharmacy work and will be able to assist her patients further.
Inter Care sends medicine, PPE and medical equipment such as Pulse Oximters, BP machines and ear thermometers to the facility.
