Banta Medical Clinic
Our Banta Medical Clinic is located within our Banta Ministry Center. With a person-to-doctor ratio as high as 250,000:1, the need for quality medical care in Sierra Leone cannot be overstated. The country’s infant mortality rate ranks amongst the highest in the world—123 of every 1,000 children die before they reach one year old. Maternal mortality (death during childbirth) is the highest in the world—970 women die for every 100,000 successful births. In Sierra Leone, medical facilities and expertise are needed to control disease, enhance the quality of life, and extend the average life expectancy which is currently only 56 years of age.
Staffed and operated by our quality Sierra Leone medical staff, the Banta Medical Clinic provides medical services to the children residing in our Banta Children’s Village and those enrolled in our Village Partnership Programs in Ngolala, Mosenesi, and Mokpangumba. The clinic also makes medical services available to those in the surrounding communities who are not part of our sponsorship program—providing consultation and diagnosis at no fee and charging minimal fees to recoup the cost of drugs and medical supplies.
Prior to the establishment of the Banta Medical Clinic, medical services were not available to this remote are of Sierra Leone. Today, many parents walk fifty or more miles, carrying a sick child or family member to seek services from our staff. Programs and services offered through our Banta Medical Clinic include:
Prenatal/Pregnancy Care
Here, mothers come to our clinic to deliver their children in a sterile, healthy environment with nurses and traditional birth attendants who provide proper care for both mother and child. High risk pregnancies and complications are referred to more specialized facilities. Typically, mothers will remain in the clinic for a short stay following delivery for observation to ensure the new family is doing fine and that the mother is educated in the benefits of breast feeding, proper nutrition, and early childhood diseases.
Under-Five Program
This program provides mothers with the opportunity to have their children ages 0 – 5 years weighed and their growth assessed. Regular checkups are encouraged and tracked to follow the development of the child and alert attention if the child’s development is inconsistent with normal growth patterns. Early childhood vaccinations are also provided through this program.
Therapeutic Feeding Center / Malnourishment Clinic
Because of different cultural beliefs and lack of proper nutrition, many children become malnourished after only a few months of life. In response, COTN has established a Therapeutic Feeding Center / Malnourishment Clinic that admits malnourished infants and their mothers. This program nurses infants back to health and educates mothers on proper care and nutrition, teaching them how to use local resources to provide balanced meals for their children.
Vaccinations
Through grants and partnerships, Children of the Nations is able to provide basic vaccinations for children and expecting mothers. Systematic registration and administration of vaccines are helping to prevent diseases such as polio, meningitis, tetanus, measles, mumps, and rubella.
Health Education
Registered nurses provide health education in our schools, communities, and clinics. Students, Community Health Animators, and visiting patients are educated about proper hygiene, balanced nutrition, malaria prevention, HIV/AIDS, clean water, sanitation, the risks of early teen pregnancy, STDs, and other basic illnesses.
Our Banta Medical Clinic is highly dependent on visiting doctors and nurses as well as donated medications and supplies. Each year, Venture Program medical teams of physicians, surgeons, dentists, and nurses travel to Sierra Leone to provide ongoing medical and dental care for the impoverished people we serve. Individuals with no medical background may assist in registration and recovery as needed.
For more information on joining an existing medical team or to coordinate a trip of your own, visit our Venture Program page.
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