2 Doctors for 12000 People

Driving along a dusty road through the Masaai land on the way to the school we came to a stop at the clinic with shattered walls and rusty window bars. There is no fence and no security so therefore anyone can enter and any vehicle can pass. Walking to the entrance we saw Tanzanian mothers waiting to get vaccinations for their newborns. Stepping into the clinic we were speechless. This place is where 12,000 people come to for everything from simple injections to serious illnesses. With 2 doctors and 4 nurses they have very little. Little space, medication, resources and doctors. Recently they were provided with two new delivery beds since they only had one beforehand. There are only 4 admission beds and during the flu seasons this isn’t enough. How they cope with this is astonishing. We were invited in and the doctor kindly showed us around, which is when we realized that these people are really in need. They face several challenges, and in a developing country where health care is needed very often, this clinic is far from enough. How thankful the doctor was when we provided her with latex gloves showed us how little they have. One thing that has definitely improved is we were taught that in Tanzania children vaccinations are now mandatory. Which is a big step in a good direction. The doctors clearly spend a lot of time and effort in trying to improve the situation, however, immediate help from outside is needed to cover all 12,000 people for adequate health care. We really appreciated the opportunity of seeing this clinic, and will definitely keep it in our minds and hopefully we can commence a project to help and provide them.