Gesuiti
MAGIS
Opera missionaria della Provincia Euro-Mediterranea dei gesuiti
26 November 2020

Support to Chad in the fight against Covid-19

MAGIS Dicono di noi Support to Chad in the fight against Covid-19

Formazione Biologi e Tecnici di Laboratorio MAGIS supports Le Bon Samaritain Hospital in N’Djamena in the fight against the pandemic by setting up a Covid-19 Laboratory and a sub-intensive therapy unit and by providing personal protective equipment to health personnel. So far Covid-19 cases in Chad have been reduced, probably due to factors such as: the Government’s restrictive measures, the recent hot season, the population’s young age, low population density especially in rural areas, reduced mobility within the country. Perhaps also a certain underestimation of the official data for the difficulty of ascertaining the infection. However, there is now concern that the rainy season could increase the spread of infection, which would lead to the collapse of the national health system. In this context, MAGIS and its local partner, Le Bon Samaritain University Hospital Complex in N’Djamena, have built a new Covid-19 laboratory, thanks to the support of the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation and private donors. The laboratory is able not only to carry out serological investigations and swabs in a short time, but also to perform studies and research on Covid-19. Moreover, thanks to its modern equipment, it will also be able to respond to other serious diseases affecting Chad (malaria, tuberculosis, HIV, poliomyelitis, etc.). Next to the hospital a sub intensive care unit (4 beds) has been set up to cope with the scarce health resources of the country in terms of intensive care and lung ventilators. In addition, thanks to the support of the Italian Bishops’ Conference, the hospital’s medical staff has been supplied with personal protective equipment. In fact, it is essential to prevent the virus spread primarily within health care facilities to prevent their collapse and to protect patients and health workers. Le Bon Samaritain University Hospital Complex (CHU-BS) in N’Djamena, founded in 1973 by the Italian Jesuit missionary Fr. Angelo Gherardi and now managed by the West Africa Province of the Society of Jesus, provides medical care for urban and rural populations, especially the poorest, in the regions of N’Djamena and Mandoul. It includes 2 Hospitals, 12 Health Centres, 1 Faculty of Medicine and 2 Nurse Training Schools. It employs a total of 300 health professionals.

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