The Mother Maryam Foundation Clinic Project
Latest News ~ The New Clinic is Built!
The construction of the new clicic is completed. You can view the preliminary pictures (to the right). Check back soon to see the complete slide show and full report of the new clinic. And "thank you" to all who have made this possible.
The Need
The village of Az-Zawrat and surrounding communities needs a local source of primary and preventive health care and health education. At present, many children are not vaccinated against tetanus, polio, diptheria, whooping cough, tuberculosis, or measles. There is no maternity, postpartum, or well baby care available locally. There are no emergency services. There is no facility for routine testing, although there is frequent need for blood sugar, malaria, and other tests. The nearest comprehensive health care available is in the provincial capital, Dongola, 40 miles away. The journey to Dongola is expensive, inconvenient, and difficult, especially for mothers and for the elderly and infirm.
That is why the Mother Maryam Foundation is constructing and equipping a community health center. The health center will provide: outpatient services; preventive services including vaccination, maternity and postpartum and well baby care; common laboratory tests; health education; emergency care and stabilization of patients for transport to Dongola hospital; some inpatient services. The facility will be available to host visiting specialists and health care campaigns. It will make primary health services convenient and available for all. This project will serve the residents of Az-Zawrat and the surrounding villages of Binna, Jarada, Iris island, and Tura, and many more.
The Plan
After the clinic is built, the provincial health authority will pay salaries of a doctor, nurse and midwife. The Sudanese telephone company, Sudatel, donated $20,000 seed money to the project. The Khartoum Rotary Club has agreed to facilitate project implementation.
The Austin Rotary Club, Westlake Rotary Club, Rotary District 5870, Rotary International, and many generous individuals have donated over $100,000 to pay for the equipment and supplies to operate the clinic. The Rotary Club of Paphos Aphrodite in Cyprus has donated an electrocardiogram machine.
Because Rotary International does not provide grants for building, the Mother Maryam Foundation has raised money from many individual contributors and several organizations. While we are still raising funds to be able to complete the clinic, construction was started in December 2008.
The Groundbreaking Ceremony
On December 13, 2008, the village held a groundbreaking ceremony for the clinic, hosted by the community leaders. The Dongola District Governor and other dignitaries from the provincial capital came; Dr. Abdelaziz Osman, Dr. Mohammed Osman, Awad Abdelgadir and Linda Boxberger attended on behalf of Mother Maryam Foundation; and men, women, and children from the village gathered for the occasion. The village sports club served refreshments and the ceremony ended with the Governor unveiling a plaque dedicating the clinic to the memory of Osman Abdelaziz and Abdelrahim Abdelgadir, late community leaders. The day after the groundbreaking ceremony, construction of the foundation began.
The Ambulance and Ongoing Construction
In late January and early February, the ambulance / transport vehicle was delivered from Port Sudan to Khartoum, and on to Dongola where it is being stored until the clinic opens. The side of the ambulance says in English and Arabic “Kolomiseed Health Center Ambulance” (Kolomiseed is the area of Az-Zawrat where the clinic is being built) and on the back is the Rotary International symbol with “Donated by Rotary” underneath.
In late February, Dr. Mohammed Osman (Dr. Omda), the physician who is supervising the clinic project, sent us photographs of the progress of the clinic construction. In the latest pictures. the building is being roofed. At present, the interior is being finished. The supervisor of construction is a professional who has supervised construction of large hospitals. The construction crew is from Dongola. The crew stays in the home of a villager now living in the city, and the village households take turns providing the crew with home-cooked meals.
Please help us by contributing.
See the model clinic plan
Read the original proposal for the clinic project.