Edna Hospital of Somaliland

During that period, we received patients from all corners of the Horn of Africa as well as providing care to UN and international staff and their families in Somaliland, and to screen or treat refugees brought to us for treatment by the United Nations.

Among the new initiatives that we have taken and which we find most heart-warming, is with the School for Children with Special Needs where we have helped to set up a dispensary for them, screened every one of the 83 children in that school, and where we send one of our nurses two days a week to check the children and treat them as needed. This is the first time that such a service has ever been set up in Somaliland and we are happy that we could do it.

This year has seen an increase in the numbers of women we treated from neighboring Somalia who have fled the fighting there.

In April, we had the support of Dr. Thomas Raassen who is among the world’s top surgeons when it comes to the repair of obstetrical fistulae and had him repair 21 women in our hospital. Our usual Smile Train Team also came to repair the Cleft Lips and Palates of 34 children.

Regarding our training, the department has been busier than ever as our current student population is:

• 46 student nurses graduating in mid-December 2009
• 26 student Laboratory Technicians graduating in 5 months
• 74 new Assistant Pharmacists started two weeks ago the very first such training in Somaliland and will be with us for one more year

In May, we graduated our first group of Community Midwives whom we sent out to work in the far and isolated regions of Somaliland.

We have also had a much larger number of foreign volunteers from Europe and North America who helped us with the training and supervision of our staff and students.

The year also continued to bring its worries and frustrations when it comes to the worsening of the water supply of the hospital which continues to be a problem without solution since we would need a borehole for the hospital and this has not been possible.

Much of the above could not have been possible without the generous support of all the benefactors who have supported through their generosity and encouragement.

On behalf of the staff, patients and students at our hospital, we wish to say ‘Thank You’ to the Friends of the Edna Hospital in the USA, to our friend Nick Kristof of the New York Times, and to all of you out there who have helped us help our people.

With much appreciation and blessings,
Edna

Above are some photos – Kofi Annan, Goldie Hawn, Mayor Bloomberg, Demi Moore – taken during Edna Adan’s participation in the Clinton Global Initiative in New York. (See earlier blog entries for more details)