Ultrasound services

Judith Cobb and Pat Atwell, senior sonographers from Northumbria Healthcare, travelled to Tanzania many times to train doctors and nurses in the use of ultrasound to predict the gestational age of a baby. At that time Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre had only one ultrasound machine which was used for all patients, and therefore expectant mothers had to join a queue with other patients to have a scan – this included expectant mothers on the maternity ward who had medical complications and needed an urgent scan. They were wheeled down on a bed to join the queue. A donation of ultrasound machines from Northumbria enabled the Maternity Department to be able to provide scans to their patients on the ward when needed.

Judith and Pat developed a five-day short course in ultrasound that was accredited by Tumaini University, and since then students from across Tanzania and neighbouring countries have travelled to KCMC to complete the course.

The project moved out to the community hospitals, many of which supported thousands of women through pregnancy. With the donation of portable ultrasounds, it was possible to spread the teaching to more rural areas. Kibosho Hospital was one of the first and has been able to support more than 2000 women through pregnancy each year.

The first scan in the community was undertaken at Boma’Ngongbe hospital by Professor Pendo Mlay, Head of the Obstetrics and Gynaecology Department at KCMC.