OPENING OF MEDEHO AND ALAILI DADDA HEALTH FACILITIES

UNCLAS DJIBOUTI 000324

SIPDIS

STATE FOR AF AND AF/E
STATE ALSO PASS USAID

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL EAID SOCI DJ
SUBJECT: OPENING OF MEDEHO AND ALAILI DADDA HEALTH FACILITIES



1. (U) Official ceremonies were held March 29 and 30 in the rural
communities of Alaili Dadda and Medeho, located in the northern distric
of Obock, to open two health facilities newly renovated under USAID
auspices. Both facilities had been completely neglected since
originally constructed, and had suffered tremendous damage during
the civil war, taking direct impacts from mortars and other explosive
devices. Now these rural clinics are completely rehabilitated and ready
to begin receiving patients. Eight other clinics will undergo
rehabilitation starting near the end of April.


2. (U) A delegation, which included the Minister of Health, Obock
District Commissioner, USAID Senior Health Advisor and USAID Health
Sector Reform Project Team headed by the Chief of Party, inaugurated th
Alaili Dadda and Medeho projects. Large crowds were on hand for both
events, and included most of the community and a Djiboutian military
detachment from Obock city. The Djiboutian media covered both events.
USAID Senior Health Advisor, on behalf of the American people, thanked
the Ministry of Health and the respective communities for their effort
to complete the rehabilitation of these clinics ahead of schedule. He
encouraged community members to bring women and children to begin
receiving services.


3. (U) In his turn, the Minister of Health thanked the US government
and USAID for their financing and involvement in the renovation of the
two rural clinics, saying that they would provide better access to
health services for the most vulnerable people in these communities. Th
ribbon-cutting ceremonies were followed by a brief tour of the
facilities and neighboring houses, which will be occupied by head
nurses in each community. The contractors for the rehabilitation did an
excellent job, utilizing partitions between sections, offering the head
nurses in each clinic consultation rooms as well as examination rooms.
Additionally, a maternity section was added to each facility, which
previously did not exist. Solar panels were ordered but not yet
installed and water reservoirs and sanitation systems are now
functioning. Head nurses in both clinics will soon participate in
continuing education and refresher training at the district level. The
training courses are being planned as a next step in USAID Djibouti's
health sector reform project. District trainers, who were recently
trained in the capital during the "training of trainers" short-course,
are working to start training sessions by mid-April.


4. (U) Comment: Work done to complete both of these facilities ahead
of schedule was phenomenal when one considers the difficult conditions
of both sites. Both communities are remote and accessible only by
traveling on very bad roads. The road to Medeho, although only one hou
and ten minutes drive from the district capital, was a treacherous clim
up and down mountains, covered with large boulders, and composed of
narrow turns and precipitous slopes. The encouraging note is that even
in these remote areas materials and supplies were delivered in a
timely manner during the renovation. We will work with the government
of Djibouti to assure the capacity to deliver medical supplies to the
facilities in a timely manner. End comment.
RAGSDALE