Polish aid

The community of the Irrawaddy delta agricultural region, criss-crossed by rivers and streams that form numerous islands and peninsulas, has limited access to infrastructure and social services. Many places can only be reached by boat. Qualified medical personnel is also lacking. The project focused on improving the health condition of women in the perinatal period, infants and children, contributing to better access to health care and improving the level of medical services, as well as better health awareness among patients, especially women and children. The medical staff at the Wakema hospital was trained by a surgeon and anaesthesiologist on surgery techniques and anaesthesia methods, with particular emphasis on preventing hospital-acquired infections. The surgery ward was furnished with the necessary medical equipment, such as an anaesthetic machine, surgical lighting, cardiac monitoring, electrocardiograph and electrocoagulation equipment. Thanks to constructing 10 rainwater cisterns, the region’s inhabitants deprived of access to clean potable water are able to collect rainfall which can be consumed after boiling. Educational activities concerning compliance with the rules of hygiene and prevention of diseases caused by contaminated water were extended to 1,050 school-age children. 300 of these underwent more complex training on disease prevention, conducted by a Polish doctor specializing in infectious diseases. 1,800 school-age children and 150 family members of pupils most vulnerable to infections were vaccinated against hepatitis B.