First fase completed – Colombia
We are proud and grateful!
In the past weeks Hospitainer and Greenlink have installed two clinics in Guainia department in Colombia. These clinics are the start of the healthy villages-program in Colombia. Health facilities where the community can be treated, children can be vaccinated and where pregnant mothers come for antenatal care.
It was not easy to deliver the containers. The transport by road and water from the international port in Cartagena to the local port Inirida took more than 15 days. Finally, the containers and crane arrived on the 23rd of November. Our team set up the clinics, installed the shadow roofs with solar panels and installed the clinic’s water tanks, electricity and septic tanks. Local workers from the community and companies assisted our Hospitainer team and taught them some Spanish.
The floating and static clinic have the same structure with different consultation rooms for a doctor, nurse and dentist. There is space and equipment for basic laboratory investigations. Traditionally mothers give birth at home; but the clinics are equipped for deliveries as well.
The floating clinic, the so called Hospivessel, will sail the river and the health team will be able to treat the people who are living along the river.
The floating clinic is equipped with an ultra sound machine so that pregnant women can be followed in the different stages of their pregnancy. The Hospivessel will have its first “test ride” this month.
It is not easy to employ nurses in remote areas due to lack of housing. With the additional construction of a small house Hospitainer has introduced a solution for this housing problem.
We have handed over the keys of the clinics to the users. The local government, the hospital staff, but most of all the community members are very happy with this medical solution. They have better access to health care!
In February 2020 the two clinics will be officially inaugurated in the presence of representatives of the Colombian and Dutch Ministry of Health. In the coming months we will define the strategy for upscaling the Healthy Villages project with the various stakeholders and partners.
“A big THANK YOU” for our Colombian partners and our consortium partners for this successful first step!
