Mapuordit Hospital

MARY IMMACULATE DOR MAPUORDIT HOSPITAL (MIH) is situated 75 km south west of Rumbek, capital of former Lakes State in the Republic of South Sudan.  It has the size and services of a County Hospital, having grown to its’ present 113 bed status over the years since foundation in 2002.  During this time, the hospitals’ electricity supply has gradually been upgraded to its’ present sophisticated and powerful  solar system (electricity and water pumps),  there has been a gradual replacement of all but one   of the original buildings with solid permanent structure buildings, and the establishment of an Operating Theatre and of a School for Enrolled Nurse  have been achieved.

According to the Regional Technical Advisor for Lakes  and Gok States and Primary Health Care (PHC) Coordinator, the expected catchment population for Mapuordit Payam and Mapuordit Hospital is respectively:  23,052 and 12,585 people: the specifications are presented in the following Table.

Table 1.1: Projected population 2016

Areas of Reference Tot Pop. 2016 PWs* Non PWs

15-49

Infant Under 5
MAPURDIT   HOSPITAL 12,585               719 1,938             682 3,040
MAPUORDIT PAYAM 23,052            1,317 3,549          1,250 5,569

*PWs (Pregnant Women)

Since its foundation in 2002, the Hospital has been managed for Diocese of Rumbek (DOR) by the Comboni Missionaries’ Congregation (MCCJ). The Comboni Missionaries have availed 3 Comboni Brothers: two doctors (one being Medical Director and acting Administrator and the other being a Surgeon) and a nurse anaesthetist. In February 2016 Bro. Dr. Paolo Rizzetto MCCJ was sent to join the Brothers working in MIH.

The top management of the Hospital is made by the Interim Board of Governors (IB). Two IB meetings have been held in 2016 and the second meeting of the Interim Board of Governors took place, for the first time, in MIH. A good start was made in 2015, in order to edit the foundational document, the Hospital Charter, required for developing and securing the hospital administrative structure. The IB commissioned the Med. Director and his Team to prepare a Human Resources Manual, and a Financial Resources Management Manual. The daily running of the Hospital is ensured by the Hospital Management Team (HMT), which has been holding regular meetings twice weekly since its inception.

A major change in the personnel involved in the management of the Hospital was represented by the handing over from the former Medical Director / Acting Administrator (and Founder of MIH) Bro. Dr Rosario Iannetti MCCJ to Bro. Dr Paolo Rizzetto MCCJ, who started his commitment in February 2016 and was officially appointed by the Board of Governors of MIH on 1st July 2016, to replace Bro. Rosario in his role and tasks. The second meeting of the Interim Board of Governors took place for the first time in MIH. On that occasion the IB Members and many Government and Church representatives gathered, together with the local community, for the Farewell Party to Bro. Dr Rosario, celebrating his fifteen years of faithful service to the local community. On that occasion, Bro. Rosario received a Certificate of Honour presented by the Governor of Eastern Lakes State, acknowledging the contribution given to the people of Mapuordit in the past 15 years.

Staff trainings – During 2016, the only training which took place in MIH, was the Basic Nursing Training Course, during which 30 people were trained as Hospital Auxiliary Nurses (HAN).  At the end of the training, 7 people were offered a full time contract as HAN and 8 people were offered an agreement as Senior Students, continuing their formation in the hospital, guided by the Staff Development Officer. In the second part of the year, 2 senior students were promoted and received a full time HAN contract.

The majority of our qualified staff are local people who have graduated from the Certified Community Nurse Training (CCN), upgraded three years ago to Enrolled Nurse standard (EN), offered by Rumbek Health Sciences Institute (RHSI), a project in which this Hospital was a major collaborator from May 2009 until May 2015, when a rationalization process saw the School centralized in Rumbek campus. Our local Registered Nurses are all graduates of the Catholic Health Training Institute (CHTI) in Wau. Two local Clinical Officers (CO) and three trained Laboratory Technicians also comprise the growing number of qualified South Sudanese staff now working in the Hospital. During 2015, several of the local Administration staff have benefitted from short Administration Courses and can now contribute more fully to the expansion of this vital area of the Hospital. In 2016, 2 Nurse Anaesthetists (formerly Reg. Nurses graduated in Wau) have been employed after successfully completing their course in Kijabe (Kenya). 3 young women have begun their training as Registered Midwives, at CHTI in Wau at the beginning of 2017, with a future perspective to come back and assume leadership positions in Maternity Ward and Antenatal Care. 2 Enrolled Nurses were given the chance to attend a bridging course in order to upgrade their certificate to a Diploma in Registered Nursing. It is hoped that one of the two will become Assistant Senior Nursing Officer, while the other will go on to enter a course in Anaesthetic Nursing.

Infrastructure. There was no further building in the  hospital during 2016 and so it remains with  6 wards comprising 113 beds (Medical, Surgical, Surgical Septic, Paediatric, Maternity, Isolation), as well as a very busy Outpatient section (more than 36,550 patients seen during 2016). In November 2016 the demolition of the old Outpatient Department (OPD) building made of semi-permanent material, was the first step to build a new OPD.

Main diseases seen in OPD: Malaria, in different clinical manifestations, was the main disease (6.977 cases); Respiratory Tract Infections (other than pneumonia, with 3.284 cases); different Gastro-intestinal conditions (3.324); different Gynaecologic conditions (3.230); Sexually Transmitted Infections and Genito-Urinary Infections (2.813); Pneumonia (1750); Watery Diarrhoea (1724). Other miscellaneous conditions accounted for approximately 3455 cases.

The main diseases seen in the medical departments (including Children)  were: Malaria (1005 cases); Anaemia (223);  Upper/ Lower Respiratory Tract Infection(URTI/LRTI)(198, with 182  Pneumonia cases); HIV-Related Complex (171); Watery Diarrhoea (115); Liver Cirrhosis (96); Gastroenteritis (71); Malnutrition (both in adults and children, with 59 cases); and fever of unknown origin (F.U.O)-(53 cases).

500 Surgical operations were performed in 2016. The main surgical operations performed were: Appendectomy (109 operations); Inguinal Hernia Repair (97); Male Circumcision (55); Femoral Hernia Repair (26); Epigastric Hernia Repair (16); Lower segment Caesarean section (15); Explorative upper Laparotomy (13); Ventral Hernia Repair (10); Haemorrhoidectomy (8 cases).

We are very grateful to all Benefactors and Sponsoring Institutions for their contributions with free donations and projects, all of which have enabled us to carry out the activities up to date.

We are also very grateful to the volunteers who have offered their assistance in one way or another for varying periods throughout the years.