Norwegian Parlamentarians visited Yekatit 12 Hospital
Parlamentarians visited the Norwegian funded Burnt Care Unit at the Yekatit 12 Hospital in Addis Ababa yesterday. The unit has been supported by the Embassy and NORAD for the last 10 years under the project "Implementation and consolidation of a Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery". The Department treats serious burnt wounds as well as the care of lip clefts. Haukeland Hospital in Bergen, a specialized hospital for burnt cases in Norway, has been instrumental in building a well functioning department.
Parliamentarians Thore Nistad, Ola T. Lånke and Sigrun Eng (see picture on front page) visited the Department yesterday to see the how the Norwegian funding had been utilised. It was a tough experience seeing the very serious burnt cases among both children and grown ups. The surgery capacity is the bottle neck to expanding the ability to treat burnt cases and the demand is high in Ethiopia. Very often it is kerosene or boiling liquid which is the reason for people getting serious injuries. Most cases in Yekatit 12 are from Addis Abeba and demand from other areas can only be met occasionally. The Yekatit service is the only one in Ethiopia and is a project in coopeartion with Addis Ababa Health Bureau.
Ola T. Lånke was impressed by the facilities and what they could offer. Norwegian support to the project will end by 2009. A total of more than NOK 13 million has been transferred to the project in its 10 year span. Haukeland support to the programme might be continued through Fredskorpset Exchange Programme, based on the strong Ethiopian ownership to the programme. Haukeland will only play an advisory role.
Last weekend the Minister of Health Tewodros Adhanom described the Burnt Care Unit as very succesful in a discussion with ambassador Kjemprud.