Obstetric Fistula Center, Niger

This excellent hospital facility offers surgical services, prevention and outreach programs as well as social integration and livelihoods to women suffering from obstetric fistula.

When the West African staff of this facility requested our assistance, some of these programs had been operational for one year and others were just beginning. The staff asked for our guidance in program frameworks, monitoring, coordination, data collection & analysis, database integration, coordination of patient flow and tracking of patients. In addition, they asked for guidance in creating operational systems such as inventory management and equipment maintenance plans in order to maximize efficiency, appropriate utilization, and sustainability.

Working directly with the hospital staff, we:

• Provided leadership, communication, and strategic planning guidance.
• Implemented multi-year budget tools and projections according to strategic plan.
• Assessed existing initiatives, developed and integrated programs hospital-wide and created frameworks for all programs as well as donor presentation and a large grant awarded.
• Created and managed implementation of hospital inventory system including analyzing current capacity, training staff, and organizing all supplies.
• Enhanced existing databases, reporting systems, and evaluation tools for staff, including administration and operations.
• Oversaw construction projects including managing personnel, ordering supplies and quality control.
• Coordinated protocols for maintenance, security, and evacuation.

FUN SUCCESS STORY:

Toward the end of our work in Niger, we received, organized, and integrated the contents of a 40-foot container of supplies and equipment with the hospital. After every item had been accounted for, entered into the inventory, and stored appropriately, the container was altered to function as an additional storage space on-site.

We then held a Container Painting Party for all of the patients and staff to decorate the container. The staff of the hospital had already been training the women patients in basic literacy as part of their social reintegration and livelihoods program. Tears flowed from staff and patients alike as the women wrote their own names largely and proudly on the container. For many staff, this was the FIRST time they witnessed the women’s incredible progress and newly found pride in themselves! These women were finding their strength again in themselves and in each other as they built and looked forward to a bright future ahead.