Carle Clinic:

This clinic has an extensive list of supplies compared to the two other locations. It also has a great deal of equipment for premature babies (incubator, bilirubin light), ambulances (defibrillator, oxygen, C-Spine/T-Sping stabilization), and general nurse care (stethoscopes, timers, EKGs, Accuvein). Their needs appear to be in staffing. No doctors were shown in the video. There were only nurses and an ambulance paramedic. This may not mean the clinic does not have doctors. It may just mean the doctors at Carle hospital do not frequently visit the clinic. Or they may only be called in during serious situations. It may be helpful to a few doctors on staff if there are not already. The Carle clinic also did not seem to have any specialties like dentistry or counseling. Perhaps if the funds became available, it would be helpful to patients for the clinic to branch out.

Sierra Leone Clinic:

This clinic needs a lot of medical items. In regards to technology, they could do with a computer to keep track of patient records. An x-ray machine would also be helpful to treat broken bones. An ultrasound machine would pay dividends to the expectant mothers who visit the clinic as well. Currently, the physicians measure each mother’s belly to determine how far along she is. This involves a great deal of guesswork, and there is no way to see how the baby is progressing. Medically, the clinic does not have any vaccines on-site. They are delivered by motorcycle. This can increase wait times and slow the clinic’s efficiency while its patients wait for the vaccines to arrive. The baby scales are also old, but if they work it may not be necessary to replace them with updated versions.

The clinic also has a great need for staff. There were only three physicians present, so mothers had to be examined one by one. This makes for an extremely slow pace that could result in fewer patients being seen. Besides wait time, the clinic appears to only host one topic a day. If there were more staff, the clinic might be able to service more patient needs at once.

The clinic has no heating or air condition to make the patients and staff comfortable. It also had some sterilization techniques, but not as many as it could. The physicians had Clorox wipes to wipe down surfaces and were using disposable supplies for the HIV test. However, wiping down surfaces does not guarantee they are sterile.

Nyakibale Emergency Center:

This emergency center appears to be well stocked with medical supplies and technology. Their needs reside in maximizing efficiency. The emergency center consists of one room with five trauma beds. If a large incident occurred in the area, they would not have enough space for their patients. They also only have one oxygen concentrator, suction machine, and ultrasound at their disposal. It is possible they do not normally have a need for multiples, but again if a few cases came it at once the patients may have to share the machines.

In an emergency, it is vital that patients reach medical attention as soon as possible. An ambulance would be an essential tool for that situation, but the center did not appear to have one. It would be too expensive to purchase the caliber of ambulance seen in first world countries. However, a simple car stocked with basic medical supplies could be a viable option.

The emergency center also does not appear to have a computer, but they do keep hand-written notes. A computer may not be a direct need because the staff’s first job is to save lives. Paperwork comes afterward. If there is an organized system for filing said paperwork, a computer is not necessary. It would also use extra electricity that the emergency center may not be able to afford.