THE SERABU CATHOLIC HOSPITAL
Mission Statement
A community hospital that provides affordable, accessible and quality basic health services in order to improve the health and sanitation of the population especially the most vulnerable people like children under 5, pregnant women, lactating mothers in Bumpe Ngao Chiefdom and its neighbouring chiefdoms by a trained and qualified local staff.
Mandate
Reach out to the most vulnerable in our society with affordable health care services to restore their human dignity
Brief History
Serabu Hospital is located in Bumpe Ngao chiefdom, one out of 15 chiefdoms in Bo district. The chiefdom has an estimated population of 48.600 inhabitants. Currently, the hospital provides quality health services to six (06) chiefdoms covering three districts – Bo, Bonthe and Moyamba districts – with an estimated population of around 60.000 – 70.000 inhabitants.
Serabu is also the home of the first Sierra Leonean Catholic Priest, Archbishop Emeritus Joseph H. Ganda. Before the advent of the war, Serabu community was renowned because it had one of the best referral hospitals in Sierra Leone with the Holy Rosary Sisters providing medical services to the rural poor. In pursuit of their mission of developing the all- round personality of the human person at the time, a health facility was established in 1954 to cater for the health needs of the people with a special emphasis on maternal and child health and primary health care.
Unfortunately, Serabu village and the rest of Bumpe Ngao chiefdom suffered badly during the conflict: between 1994 and 1998 the rebels almost entirely destroyed the village and the chiefdom as well as many more surrounding villages. This wave of destruction did not spear Serabu Hospital as it suffered a huge devastation with the hospital’s infrastructure brought to complete rubble. The livelihoods of the people also suffered tremendously at the hands of the rebels with livestock looted and plantations destroyed to ground level. This made life extremely difficult for the people who were already going through economic hardship.
At the end of the war, the hospital was rehabilitated with funding from the European Union between 2006 and 2008. The EU funding lasted only until 2011, which was almost devastation for the people of the Bumpe Ngao chiefdom and its surrounding chiefdoms as there was no other donor to help out. It was at this point that the current donor, German Doctors, intervened to save the lives of the people, especially women and children, who form the largest proportion (80%) of the hospitals beneficiaries.
The Hospital is geographically isolated and has no access to higher level secondary care. The road system is poor and means of transport are almost not available; especially during the rainy season (May – September/October), the access to the hospital becomes very difficult. Additionally, communication facilities are very bad and hinder the contact to other institutions and organisations.
Key Activities
- Provision of Free Health Care Services to vulnerable categories (pregnant women, lactating mothers and children) both in and out patients
Including
Free of cost ambulance service in cases of high risk pregnancies
Free safe delivery service
General and obstetrics surgeries including emergencies
Food for in-patient mothers and children - Provision of cost recovery health care services both in and out patients
General surgeries
Treatment of major clinical cases - Capacity building of staff
Continuous training of local -both nursing and administrative for long term sustainability (internal and external training)
- Intensifying outreach activities
Administering vaccines to pregnant women and children at community level
Conducting sensitizations on emerging issues at community level - Building and strengthening the networks with governmental institutions and other stakeholders
Training community health staff in surrounding PHUs on maternal and child health care
RESULTS
- Reduction in New Born deaths by 80% since October 2013
- Reduction in Maternal and Child deaths
- Increased capacity of staff
- Increased number of patients’ attendance (except during the outbreak)
- Increased capacity of staff of surrounding PHUs in nursing care
- Increased awareness of communities on personal hygiene practices
STRATEGIC PARTNERS
- German Doctors – Bonn, Germany
- Healey International Foundation – USA
- Ministry of Health and Sanitation
- World Vision Sierra Leone
- Sierra Rutile Mining Company
- VIMETCO mining company
Future Plans
- Re-opening the hospital’s nursing school (Mid-Wifery school)
In an effort to reach out or facilitatie quality basic health care services to suburb remote communities , Caritas Bo Diocese has additional responsiblity of managing and running the Peripheral Health Centers (PHU’s) in Moriba Town ,Sumbuya ,Gerihun of Bo and Bonthe District.
Caritas Bo continues to strengthen PHU’S thereby complimenting government efforts in ensuring better and quality health care delivery services for the ordinary citizenry.