Flower sketch
Remembering the hospital’s situation before, Amsalu Wudneh, Head of Injibara Health Centre, says the very narrow room that was uncomfortable for the mothers and children also made it difficult for health workers to give quality vaccine service. Sintayehu is, therefore, happy to see that the immunisation service has improved in terms of vaccination service delivery and quality. Beyond the launch: three key lessons from Ethiopia on monitoring a new vaccine post-introduction.Measles vaccines offer hope in conflict-affected parts of Ethiopia.COVID-19 vaccine campaigns help find zero-dose children in Ethiopia's remote villages.Even though the health workers would usually allow us to get the service without waiting, it wasn’t always the case,” she says. When this happens, I should be able to make two round trips to get the children vaccinated.
Sometimes more than one child will be scheduled for vaccination on one day. “I take care of six children from one to nine months old. Sintayehu often experienced long queues, which prevented her from getting back early and bringing other children who were scheduled for vaccination on the same day. Sintayehu, caregiver at an orphanage, brings one of the children to get vaccinated.Īs a care mother, she frequently brings children from the orphanage to the health centre to get them regular vaccinations. Other parents and caregivers, like Sintayehu, a child caregiver at an orphanage located near the health centre, shared the same sentiments. The health workers are also serving with great motivation and energy,“ she adds. “Everyone feels the same most of the parents are happy about the changes. The vaccination room is now wide and has enough space for the waiting mothers and health workers as well,” she says.Ĭompared to her previous visit, Tilahun also says that she noticed a more positive and friendly energy in the vaccination room. In order to make the vaccination room more child-friendly and engaging, playing items, different coloured flowers and dolls have been placed in the room.
She found the narrow, messy vaccine room had been changed to a new and well-furnished vaccination facility. However, when Tilahun visited the health centre on 27 July, she was very pleased with the improvements made to the immunisation room at the health centre. Mothers sitting in the new immunisation waiting room at Injibara health centre.
As a result, Tilahun and other mothers had no choice but to visit the centre again. The health centre is the only place that provides immunisation services in Injibara, a town of more than 100,000 inhabitants. “What I saw did not encourage me to bring my child back here for regular immunisations.” As a new mother it was not comfortable for me and my child,” she explains. “Besides the long waiting time, the room was too narrow and unhygienic. We not only made the environment attractive but also regularly disinfect the room and keep the area clean to keep children safe from infections.” “We now see how the longer wait times and unhygienic and uncomfortable vaccination rooms caused some of the dropouts. She had to wait for close to an hour, an experience she described as “horrible and uncomfortable”. In the vaccination room, Tilahun says that she found the waiting area filled with lots of mothers who had also brought their children for vaccination. Last October, newly married mother Shashework Tilahun had her first experience of the Injibara health centre when she visited to have her first child vaccinated for the first time.