LABORATORY
We have supported the hospitals diagnostic facilities with suitably sustainable targeted equipment
that has been requested by the hospital and also by investing in staff training to improve the local skill set.
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FoN recently sourced and shipped a new HemoCue for the lab. This will ensure that blood transfusion (a potentially life saving but not risk-free treatment) can be used appropriately in both children and adults. It will also help the clinical team to diagnose, manage and assess patients' response to treatment.
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Michaela Fitzpatrick-Milton, a recent volunteer working in the lab, has had a report from her time in Segbwema published in the Association for Clinical Biochemistry and Laboratory Medicine News which you can read here (page 18).
Latest developments...
Phillip Fofana (pictured right) was previously supported by FoN to complete further training in technical laboratory skills.
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He, along with the rest of his team are integral in the work that takes place in the laboratory to support patient care.
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Earlier this year the laboratory team were joined for a couple of months by a Biomedical Sciences student from the UK. A great learning opportunity for all!
BLOOD GLUCOSE TESTING
The ability to offer blood glucose testing at the hospital had been recently compromised due to local supply issues related to limited availability of compatible test strips. Through working with the hospital’s lab team, Friends of Nixon, were able to step in to help fill this gap and ensure a return to the availability of this fundamental point-of-care test.
To provide a sustainable supply for 6-12 months in the first instance, 1500 test strips and associated meters were funded and delivered.
Making this simple test consistently available again had an immediate impact on improving patients care including in the diagnosis and management of diabetes and appropriate sugar control in very unwell children with severe malaria.
We plan to liaise closely with the laboratory staff to assess if there is an ongoing role for FoN to provide compatible strips or if the local changes will enable self-sufficiency.
