Medical Mission International has been reaching out to underserved and remote communities in the Zambézia Province of Mozambique through a medical mobile clinic that began operations in 2008.
According to MMI programme director, Doug Kendrick, the mobile clinic was the first of its kind to launch in the country of Mozambique. Medical Mission International donor support paid for the construction of the mobile clinic. It was designed in South Africa and then transported to Mozambique where it is on the move, providing critically needed medical services to poor and impoverished people living throughout the region. Zambézia is one of the most populous provinces of Mozambique, with nearly four million people, many of them living in isolated and rural areas.
“The mobile health clinic is a valuable resource that allows us to connect with hard to reach communities. It provides a versatile and flexible method for providing primary healthcare services, education and counselling,” said Kendrick.
The successful mobile programme has been a collaborative effort that includes both non-governmental organizations, like Medical Mission International, as well as partnerships with the country’s Ministry of Health and the Provincial Government of Zambézia. Medical Mission International continues to financially support the on-going operations of the medical mobile Clinic.
The mobile clinic has greatly improved the quality of life for the thousands and thousands of people it serves by providing access to services like maternal and child health, screening and assessment of malnutrition, providing HIV/AIDS counselling and testing and treatment to people living with HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and other diseases. The mobile clinic also offers assistance with family planning, collects blood and other samples for analysis, provides health education and counselling, and provides an exhaustive list of primary medical care and clinic services. According to programme liaison, Dr. Martina Fuchs, the most common health problems confronted by the local people are malaria, HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malnutrition and diarrheal illness.
The medical clinic is typically in service four days per week and alternates among communities and different sites in the province on a weekly basis. The mobile clinic also partners with other clinics in the province and provides mentoring, refresher sessions on clinical protocols, technical assistance, and on-the-job training, management support and blood sample transport for testing.
The mobile clinic’s presence in places like Mbawa, in the Namacurra District, demonstrate of the impact and improvement in the delivery of health care services.
Moises Pedro Monteiro, lives in the town of Mbawa and has been a volunteer with the Mbawa Health Centre for over five years. "Before the arrival of the mobile clinic, I had to take samples for suspected tuberculosis cases to Macuse, on my bike, and sometimes even accompanied by patients who were very sick and unable to walk. With the arrival of the Mobile Clinic, everything changed. Most diseases are now being treated right here in Mbawa with medicines readily available," said Monteiro.
“Medical Mission International is honoured to play a role in the delivery of critical health care services in isolated communities in Mozambique. Non-governmental organizations play an important role by reinforcing infrastructure, providing additional resources and filling in the gaps so no one is left without desperately needed medical care,” said Kendrick.
A heart-felt thank you to all MMI supporters who help make these life-saving programmes possible!
