July 2019 – A Medical Student’s Perspective

So we have finished the July 2019 trip to Tanzania with the Medical Team. By the time this article is published I will be at Medical School studying hard: on another adventure. The next trip to Tanzania that the Medical Volunteer Team will take will likely by in November 2019 and then again between February and April 2020.

Firstly, I wanted to thank all of our incredible donators! From the knitters/sewers/crocheters of beanies, booties, blankets, cacoons and Stillborn baby kits (Linus Sunshine Coast especially do a wonderful job with this), to the regular monetary donators, medical equipment donators and avid supporters on the website and beyond: THANK-YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!! (Please see the cover image for this article which is the result of all these donations and more which will be sent to Tanzania via air and/or ship in time for the Team’s return to Tanzania in November).

Thus far Midwife Vision is working hard on gaining funding and developing our plans for our SHINE Program and Midwife Vision Apps. The Midwife Vision App for Mothers is designed to help improve their help literacy and be an easy to use source of information for Android and IOS which involves videos, offline functions and multi-lingual elements that caters for women in rural and remote areas who are illiterate. The Midwife Vision App for Skilled-Birth Attendants (such as doctors, nurses, midwives and others) is designed as a healthcare tool which explains what medications to use and why, what emergencies you might encounter and how to deal with them, etc.

Both tools, Midwife Vision hopes, will gain funding and be implement by 2020. The Midwife Vision SHINE program is explained below:

SHINE

The entire SHINE Initiative is underpinned by the commitment to, and concepts of: Research, Reproduction (the able to reproduce success in different countries and regions), and Capability (the capability to provide care and achieve success) and Collaboration for the purpose of improving Maternal and Neonatal Health in Sub-Sahara Africa (from pre-conception to postnatal care).

Capability and Reproduction

Education & Training programs (Training)*

1.Pre-eclampsia/Eclampsia/Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy

2.Prolonged & Obstructed Labour

3.Sepsis (maternal and fetal)

4.Primary Post-partum Haemorrhage (PPH)

5.Very Early Neonatal Death (VEND)/ Helping Babies Breathe (HBB)

Augmentation of Supplies and Equipment (Tools)**

1.Medication

2.Consumables

3.Infrastructure

4.Medical and Specialist Equipment

5.Maintenance Services

Supportive Resources & Technology (Innovation)***

1.Midwife Vision SHINE App for Mothers

2.Midwife Vision SHINE App for Skilled-birth attendants (SBAs)

3.Multi-media education in Antenatal and Postnatal Clinical settings

4.SMS eHealth for Maternal and Child Health

*Each training program is underpinned by the Becker Model of Education and Training (see later).

**With the aim of providing the necessary amount and quality of equipment and supplies to support the efforts of the SHINE training and education programs. “Tools” are not to be the only or unnecessary supply of equipment and consumables.

***New ways of implementing changes in Sub-Sahara Africa to improve maternal and newborn health that are cost effective, efficient, impactful, innovative and sustainable.