Safe Mothers, Safe Babies had a busy 2011 reducing maternal and neonatal mortality and bettering the lives of many in Uganda:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/79181042/SAFE-Newsletter-January-2012
Safe Mothers, Safe Babies
Photo Credit: Anne Sherwood
24 January 2012
18 January 2012
Life-Saving Light
For all those who have been following our Solar Suitcase installation story, here are two videos that show its immediate impact. The first shows SAFE Founder and President, Jacqueline Cutts, working with the spokeswoman for AMREF's Stand Up for African Mothers campaign, midwife Esther Madudu, to resuscitate a premature newborn under the lights of a Solar Suitcase installed only 5 minutes before the baby's birth. The second video shows an interview with Esther talking about how the existence of reliable lighting helped her provide quality care to both the premature newborn and her mother!
Life-Saving Light: Neonatal Resuscitation
Interview with Esther Madudu
17 January 2012
Join SAFE in Supporting AMREF's Stand Up for African Mothers Campaign
To all who care about women, mothers, children, and families:
Recently, Safe Mothers, Safe Babies in our partnership with WE CARE Solar started working with the African Medical and Research Foundation (AMREF). Today, we are asking everyone who cares about women, mothers, children, and families to join us in signing AMREF's Stand Up for African Mothers Campaign petition, seeking to train 30,000 new midwives before 2015, so that more pregnant women get access to the life-saving care that they need. Signing the petition will take less than a minute, and it's all online. Your signature can make a difference! Make a stand for the women, children, and families of this world today!!!
Visit this website to sign the petition: http://www.standupforafricanmothers.com/
Recently, Safe Mothers, Safe Babies in our partnership with WE CARE Solar started working with the African Medical and Research Foundation (AMREF). Today, we are asking everyone who cares about women, mothers, children, and families to join us in signing AMREF's Stand Up for African Mothers Campaign petition, seeking to train 30,000 new midwives before 2015, so that more pregnant women get access to the life-saving care that they need. Signing the petition will take less than a minute, and it's all online. Your signature can make a difference! Make a stand for the women, children, and families of this world today!!!
Visit this website to sign the petition: http://www.standupforafricanmothers.com/
14 January 2012
Health workers and patients respond positively to Solar Suitcase Installations
The Safe Mothers, Safe Babies team (comprised of SAFE CEO and Founder Jacquie Cutts, Jacquie's husband and Technical Director Richard Cutts, and SAFE intern Rachel Fisher) recently returned from their trip to Uganda having successfully completed 21 Solar Suitcase Installations! The Solar Suitcases have already made a huge impact in the ability of health workers to save the lives of many mothers and babies, by providing light during the rampant power outages currently affecting Uganda. Jacquie interviewed many of doctors, nurses, midwives, and patients about their experiences. Here are the testimonials from health workers at several hospitals in which Solar Suitcases have been installed:
Iganga District Hospital Staff: Rebecca, nurse at the Iganga Hospital Operating Theater:
“It has helped us. The previous night, power went off. And we were switched on the solar system, and we continued with our operation. It was successful, and it helped us so much. We are so grateful.” “We couldn’t resuscitate the baby because we had only the torches. The torches we were moving. But now the power was there, so somebody was there to resuscitate the baby while the operation continued. We finished both successfully.”
Nurse from the Iganga District Hospital Maternity Ward:
“Well before, we used to have a generator. But then it broke. It’s about sustainability. If there is no fuel, it is not sustainable. When power goes off, you have to operate by kerosene. Sometimes we don’t have paraffin. Then we have to use cell phones… and that is not enough light.”
Dr. Kato, anesthetist officer at Iganga District Hospital Operating Theater:
“When the power goes off during an operation, we use whatever is around. A torch. This is very stressful during an operation, and the light is not sufficient, but this is all we had.” In our country, we don’t have enough power. Normally, it goes off. There are so many stories about the power going off in operations, I can’t even tell them all. We just use whatever torch is around, and do our best. When the American friends installed the solar power, that very night it went out and we had just started a cesarean section. One of the staff had been trained in the use of that Solar Suitcase, and she switched it on. We were able to finish the operation successfully. Then, there was another one which was pending, and we did the second operation because we had enough light. Iganga is one of the busiest hospitals—it’s a district hospital. Even it is on the main highway and there are passengers from many other countries who get in accidents at night. So now we will be able to treat them properly even if the power is off. Now, with the solar, patients will be handled timely, more efficiently, and we won’t have any need to transfer patients to the next hospital which is Jinja because of light. All operations now will be carried out here.”
Bugiri District Hospital Staff:
Dr. Steven, acting superintendent at the hospital, and Nurse Akirwye, nursing office from Maternity Ward:
Nurse: “When power goes off and we have a mother that is delivering, what we’ve been using is our small torches on our phones. That’s what we use. Maybe if a patient can afford to buy a small candle, it also helps us in lighting. But that is all.”
Doctor: “For cesarean mothers, if there is fuel, we can put on the generator, but if there is no fuel, we are forced to refer these mothers to another hospital, to the Iganga Hospital, which is very expensive and the mothers can’t afford the fuel to put in the ambulance to transfer them. In the worst cases, we find that if there is no power here, there is also no power in another hospital—it isn’t there either.”
Nurse: “The light is not enough, especially if there is a tear. Because if the mother got a tear, then we need to suture it, but if the light isn’t there, we make her wait until morning, that’s when we have to repair the tear. And even resuscitation. If we can’t see well, we can’t resuscitate the babies adequately. And we can’t even score these babies so well [referring to APGAR]. Because we have to score the skin color, but we can’t, so we fail to know whether exactly the baby is okay or not.”
Doctor: “When it comes to monitoring, you can’t monitor a baby in darkness. You can’t tell whether the baby is doing well or not.”
Doctor: “In theater, you can be operating and then power goes off. All of a sudden, total darkness. It can be very tricky, if you have just removed the baby, to tie the bleeders if power has gone off. But now that we have the Solar Suitcase, we can easily switch on. Then we can continue with the operation. Because it can be very difficult even to wait to find somebody to go and switch on the generator, if you are just waiting in the theater. Even 10 minutes, can be dangerous. It will be a very great help for us, because now we just will easily switch on the solar power.”
A pregnant woman at Nsinze Health Center IV:
“They have told me what you brought here—the Solar Suitcase, so that we have light at night, and now I know that my baby will be safe. I am so very, very grateful. So I thank you, madam. Thank you so much, thank you so much.”
Sulaiman Lule, managing director of Ibulanku HC III:
“Now we’re going to start delivering mothers without fearing the blackouts from hydroelectricity power. We are very grateful for that.” “The WE CARE Solar Suitcase is going to help us a lot because now when mothers deliver at the health center and there is a power blackout because of the power rationing from the hydroelectricity, the patients will find the light on and we shall be delivering the babies when there is enough light and delivering babies safely.”
Wonderful job SAFE team!!
Iganga District Hospital Staff: Rebecca, nurse at the Iganga Hospital Operating Theater:
“It has helped us. The previous night, power went off. And we were switched on the solar system, and we continued with our operation. It was successful, and it helped us so much. We are so grateful.” “We couldn’t resuscitate the baby because we had only the torches. The torches we were moving. But now the power was there, so somebody was there to resuscitate the baby while the operation continued. We finished both successfully.”
 |
| Installation at Iganga District Hospital Operating Theater |
Nurse from the Iganga District Hospital Maternity Ward:
“Well before, we used to have a generator. But then it broke. It’s about sustainability. If there is no fuel, it is not sustainable. When power goes off, you have to operate by kerosene. Sometimes we don’t have paraffin. Then we have to use cell phones… and that is not enough light.”
 |
| Light installed on non-functional operating theater light, allowing the physicians to point the light wherever they need it to go! |
“When the power goes off during an operation, we use whatever is around. A torch. This is very stressful during an operation, and the light is not sufficient, but this is all we had.” In our country, we don’t have enough power. Normally, it goes off. There are so many stories about the power going off in operations, I can’t even tell them all. We just use whatever torch is around, and do our best. When the American friends installed the solar power, that very night it went out and we had just started a cesarean section. One of the staff had been trained in the use of that Solar Suitcase, and she switched it on. We were able to finish the operation successfully. Then, there was another one which was pending, and we did the second operation because we had enough light. Iganga is one of the busiest hospitals—it’s a district hospital. Even it is on the main highway and there are passengers from many other countries who get in accidents at night. So now we will be able to treat them properly even if the power is off. Now, with the solar, patients will be handled timely, more efficiently, and we won’t have any need to transfer patients to the next hospital which is Jinja because of light. All operations now will be carried out here.”
 |
| Class trained at the Iganga District Hospital, including staff from both the theater and the maternity ward. |
Dr. Steven, acting superintendent at the hospital, and Nurse Akirwye, nursing office from Maternity Ward:
Nurse: “When power goes off and we have a mother that is delivering, what we’ve been using is our small torches on our phones. That’s what we use. Maybe if a patient can afford to buy a small candle, it also helps us in lighting. But that is all.”
Doctor: “For cesarean mothers, if there is fuel, we can put on the generator, but if there is no fuel, we are forced to refer these mothers to another hospital, to the Iganga Hospital, which is very expensive and the mothers can’t afford the fuel to put in the ambulance to transfer them. In the worst cases, we find that if there is no power here, there is also no power in another hospital—it isn’t there either.”
Nurse: “The light is not enough, especially if there is a tear. Because if the mother got a tear, then we need to suture it, but if the light isn’t there, we make her wait until morning, that’s when we have to repair the tear. And even resuscitation. If we can’t see well, we can’t resuscitate the babies adequately. And we can’t even score these babies so well [referring to APGAR]. Because we have to score the skin color, but we can’t, so we fail to know whether exactly the baby is okay or not.”
Doctor: “When it comes to monitoring, you can’t monitor a baby in darkness. You can’t tell whether the baby is doing well or not.”
Doctor: “In theater, you can be operating and then power goes off. All of a sudden, total darkness. It can be very tricky, if you have just removed the baby, to tie the bleeders if power has gone off. But now that we have the Solar Suitcase, we can easily switch on. Then we can continue with the operation. Because it can be very difficult even to wait to find somebody to go and switch on the generator, if you are just waiting in the theater. Even 10 minutes, can be dangerous. It will be a very great help for us, because now we just will easily switch on the solar power.”
A pregnant woman at Nsinze Health Center IV:
“They have told me what you brought here—the Solar Suitcase, so that we have light at night, and now I know that my baby will be safe. I am so very, very grateful. So I thank you, madam. Thank you so much, thank you so much.”
 |
| Midwife at Nsinze Health Center learning to use the Solar Suitcase lights. |
 |
| Class trained at Nsinze Health Center IV |
Sulaiman Lule, managing director of Ibulanku HC III:
“Now we’re going to start delivering mothers without fearing the blackouts from hydroelectricity power. We are very grateful for that.” “The WE CARE Solar Suitcase is going to help us a lot because now when mothers deliver at the health center and there is a power blackout because of the power rationing from the hydroelectricity, the patients will find the light on and we shall be delivering the babies when there is enough light and delivering babies safely.”
 |
| Midwife at Nsinze Health Center using the headlamp for the first time. |
Wonderful job SAFE team!!
29 December 2011
Solar Suitcase Installation at Tiriri Health Center IV
This week the SAFE team completed an installation at Tiriri Health Center IV in Atiriri, Uganda. This is also the center at which Ester Madudu -- a leader for AMREF's "Stand Up For African Mothers" campaign -- works as a midwife. Before the installation of the Solar Suitcase, when a mother would go into labor at night, Ester would hold a cellular phone with her mouth and help birth the child using the minimal light from the phone. Now, with the Solar Suitcase, Ester and the other midwives can assist with childbirth without worrying about performing lifesaving procedures in darkness.
Jacquie training Ester and another midwife to operate the Solar Suitcase.
Only five minutes after the installation at Tiriri Health Center was finished, a baby was born prematurely at only 28 weeks gestation and needed to be resuscitated. The Solar Suitcase played a vital role in the successful birth and subsequent resuscitation of this child.
Jacquie training Ester and another midwife to operate the Solar Suitcase.
Only five minutes after the installation at Tiriri Health Center was finished, a baby was born prematurely at only 28 weeks gestation and needed to be resuscitated. The Solar Suitcase played a vital role in the successful birth and subsequent resuscitation of this child.
23 December 2011
Light the Night Project in Action!
Jacquie Cutts (CEO and Founder of SAFE), Richard Cutts (SAFE technical director), and Rachel Fisher (SAFE intern) have been hard at work in Uganda this past week, installing Solar Suitcasess and training health workers and SAFE’s in-country staff at several hospitals on how to operate, install, and repair the devices. Through the effective and sustainable implementation of these machines, they are certainly making the Light the Night project – in collaboration with WE CARE Solar– a great success.
As Jacquie explained, “installing the older version Solar Suitcase at Bukoteka, then the Humless units at Ibulanku, fixing Busesa’s panels, and installing the new Solar Suitcases (with expansion packs) at the Iganga District Hospital will help to ensure quality care at each step in the chain of health care delivery.”
The next stop was the village of Busembe, Kalalu Parish in Iganga District, where the group checked on SAFE’s projects and discussed plans to hold a community health fair day on December 26th with Ugandan groups Women’s Voice, Bugya Bukye, and KAMEDE (Kalalu Men’s Development Association). SAFE will provide HIV and malaria testing and counseling, immunizations (specifically targeted at women and children), malaria treatment, and mosquito nets for 300-400 people expected to attend.
On Monday, the group met with Dr. Susan Wandera Kayizzi, the Deputy Country Director of AMREF Uganda in Kampala, who helped to work out the logistics for the arrival of the rest of the Solar Suitcases, and described her experiences doing caesarian sections with the unreliable lighting caused by power outages, particularly this past year.
Tuesday saw more meetings, with the White Ribbon Alliance and UNICEF, and the completion of two Solar Suitcase installations with accompanying training, especially for the UNICEF workers who will be finishing the installations once the group departs. The first installation was at Kyampisi Heath Center III, a UNICEF-affiliated health center, and the other at Kyetume Health Center III.
After the installation at Kyampisi, Jacquie showed a midwife and clinical officer how to use a fetal Doppler, which allowed a pregnant woman who was there for prenatal care to hear her baby’s heartbeat. Jacquie also spoke with them about the Solar Suitcase:
“I talked about how it was now their Solar Suitcase—that it was for them, their babies, and their families, so that the health providers could provide better care. I talked with them about helping the providers ensure that the Suitcase was used properly, that it wasn’t used to charge other people’s phones, and that nothing would get stolen, because then the power wouldn’t work anymore. They all promised to “join hands” in “their project.”On Wednesday, the group installed one out of the two Solar Suitcases at the Iganga District Hospital. Despite some challenges with time constraints, the SAFE group was very happy to have done this installation, for unsurprisingly that night there was a power outage during an emergency cesarean section. But, according to the OR nurse, the Solar Suitcase remedied the problem very effectively:
“We just switched on the light and then we finished. We did all of them, and we took it into the first room too, so that we could treat the motor vehicle accident patients.”
The Light the Night project is already truly making a difference in its early days. Check back soon for more exciting updates!
19 December 2011
Last Minute Holiday Gifts!
Still haven't found the perfect gift for that special someone? Check Safe Mothers Safe Babies' gift catalog and support maternal health in Uganda!
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