IMPLEMENTATION

Upgrading Sanitation Facilities

An assessment of the problem was undertaken in conjunction with the Geheina Hospital staff and the Geheina Council. Priority was given to:

  • Upgrading four bathrooms in the patients block.
  • Upgrading the bathroom in the nurses quarters.
  • Upgrading the bathroom in the outpatients area.
  • Replacing sections of broken sewage pipe.
  • Emptying and cleaning the septic tanks.
Detailed plans were prepared and the works subsequently awarded to a Geheina based contractor following competitive tender. Supervision of the works was provided by the Geheina Council and hospital management. Construction took three months. The renovations were well received by hospital staff and patients and helped lift morale of those working there.

At the Sohag Eye Disease Hospital dilapidated sewage lines were upgraded.
 
Improvements at Geheina Hospital

Hospital Clean-up Campaign

At Geheina Hospital waste was scattered around the grounds. A clean-up day was organised, involving hospital workers, local council staff and the community. Additional cleaning tools, garbage bins and protective wear were provided to the hospital so that the grounds could be maintained in the future.

 COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION

Community Awareness Raising

Awareness raising was an essential part of the project and was designed in consultation with the hospital staff, health workers and the Directorate of Health. The main objectives were to improve the community痴 understanding of the need for better sanitation and hygiene practices and to enhance the capacity of hospital staff and health promoters to transfer such messages to the community.


Ra段dat raising awareness with the community

The target groups were therefore:

  • Hospital out-patients.
  • Hospital in-patients and their visitors.
  • People visiting the health units in East and West Geheina.
  • Hospital staff and the Ra段dat (health promoters).
  • Communities visited by the Ra段dat.
  • Local council workers.
Educational Material and Training

Posters were prepared by a group of young doctors for display in community areas. Information pamphlets were prepared for distribution and for use by the Ra段dat.

Awareness materials focused on the relation between sanitation and health, and between hygiene, waste handling and diseases frequently contracted.

To more effectively disseminate information to the community, training was provided to the hospital staff and Ra段dat. The training, linking environment with health issues was done with the assistance of the Sohag Directorate of Health.

The Ra段dat proved to be an effective way of reaching the community as they worked in hospitals, villages and low income urban areas. They welcomed the training as this improved their capacity to advise the community. Prior to this, their work had focused on Family Planning issues.

Cleaning workers received training on routine and preventative maintenance issues.

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