Ladness’ Story
Case Study
How is CCBRT’s capacity building team training the next generation of #HealthHeroes in Dar es Salaam?
Inside one of Dar es Salaam Region’s busiest neonatal wards, Ladness is doing a late-morning round at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). She bends over an open cot to inspect a premature newborn. It’s obvious from the way she looks at the young child: she is passionate about her job.
At a young age, Ladness was determined to become a nurse. She was inspired by their work, the people they served – even their uniforms. Today, Ladness has over nine years of nursing experience. She works as a Registered Nurse (RN) at Mwananyamala Hospital, covering the neonatal ward. “I like being a nurse because it never stops giving. I get the opportunity to learn new things every day,” said Ladness.
Ladness is one of the nurses trained in neonatal care at Mwananyamala Hospital. She attended several trainings on newborn care facilitated by CCBRT’s Maternal and Newborn Healthcare Capacity Building Program. The knowledge and skills gained through these trainings have transformed her work, touching the lives of her patients, her co-workers and her co-workers’ patients. “I have been able to pass on the knowledge from CCBRT trainings to untrained nurses and volunteers in the ward. Together, we’ve really improved the management of newborn illnesses and complications,” she explained.
CCBRT also provides mentoring, guidance and equipment at Mwananyamala Hospital to help improve quality of care and reduce newborn deaths. “I am happy that staff are now able to provide Emergency Newborn Care, and we have essential newborn equipment, all thanks to CCBRT. It is very heart-warming to see babies coming here very ill, but leaving free of sickness,” Ladness added.
Mwananyamala Hospital is one of 23 health facilities supported by CCBRT’s Maternal and Newborn Healthcare Capacity Building Program. Data show significant improvement in the quality of Maternal, Newborn and Child Healthcare services at the hospital; from 5% in 2010 to 85% in 2016.