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Sterile drapes and instruments are essential to provide safe deliveries for mothers and babies. If these essential supplies are not available in a timely manner, mothers and babies may die. Unfortunately, these preventable tragedies have occurred at the University of Gondar Hospital in Gondar Ethiopia because sterile drapes and instruments have not always been readily available for the thousands of deliveries each year, many by cesarean section.
To meet this urgent need, The Rotary Club of Del Mar, partnering with Gondar Fasiledes Rotary Club and The University of Gondar worked together to create a Perinatal Laundry and Sterilization facility at the University of Gondar Hospital. ( GG2094220 "Safe Deliveries for Mothers and Babies" )
During the grant, the Perinatal service encountered problems because there was no emergency back-up sterilization when the autoclave was offline for maintenance and repair.
Medical Aid International, an NGO that supplies equipment specifically adapted to the needs of Low-and-Middle-Income -Countries, suggested that a small pressure cooker autoclave that is robust, rugged and simple to use could serve as a backup when other sterilization options unavailable. Three c-section sets can be sterilized in 30 minutes and size permits the autoclave to be located on the clinical ward.
We propose a district grant to purchase an electric pressure cooker-type autoclave that can provide extra sterilization capacity in emergencies and times of increased demand. We will partner with Medical Aid International to buy, install, and train personnel, as well as provide ongoing support once the grant is completed.
Our goal is to provide sterile linens and instruments for every delivery at Gondar University Hospital so that no mother or baby will die unnecessarily from lack of these critical supplies.
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