In Tajikistan, Creating A Safer Environment For Mothers And Children
How UNICEF and the European Union are helping to transform healthcare services by rehabilitating facilities.
Isfara is a city in northern Tajikistan with a population of 285,000 and is home to one of the country's largest healthcare facilities - the Isfara Central Hospital. Following Tajikistan's independence, this hospital faced a number of challenges in providing quality healthcare to its population. The hospital building was in need of major repairs and rehabilitation, as the water and sewage systems were deteriorating and the medical equipment was outdated. For decades, these challenges have gone unaddressed.
By 2020, Isfara Central Hospital was receiving nearly 14,000 patients a year in its paediatric, maternity, infectious disease and surgical wards, and the number of patients was increasing. The hospital's WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene) facilities were inadequate and its healthcare waste management (HCWM) system needed improvement.
In addition, the hospital staff needed proper training in infection prevention and control, as well as modern medical equipment. Despite these obstacles, the Isfara Central Hospital has nearly 1,000 dedicated staff working day and night to provide professional health services.
"For years, no rehabilitation work was carried out here,"
Much-needed rehabilitation ends decades of struggle
In 2021, as part of the EU-funded Health Development Programme, UNICEF specialists and engineers arrived at Isfara Central Hospital to assess and evaluate its WASH and HCWM infrastructure. Once the main needs were identified - lack of access to potable water, inadequate handwashing facilities, lack of prevention and control in many departments, including wards, laboratories, toilets and kitchens - the rehabilitation work began, marking a turning point in the transformation of the facility.
The rehabilitation work focused on improving and upgrading the paediatric, maternity, infectious disease and surgical wards. Eighty-nine premises were identified for major rehabilitation to address long-standing deficiencies, including maternity, paediatric, infectious disease, surgical, laundry and kitchen facilities.
Upon completion of the rehabilitation work in 2022, hygiene standards in all wards have improved significantly, particularly in the area of sanitary facilities. The number of sanitary facilities has increased, including the number of combined toilets and showers, single toilets and single showers to meet the diverse needs of patients and staff. The paediatric and surgical wards now fully comply with optimal hygiene standards for patient care and staff well-being.
Improved conditions for improved healthcare services
“Thanks to UNICEF and the European Union in Tajikistan, our work has become much easier. The improved conditions have had a profound effect on our daily operations, allowing us to provide better care to our patients, not only those who live in Isfara, but also those who live in the surrounding towns and villages." says Azamjon and his colleague Kimsanova Muattara Abdulloevna, Director of the Maternity Department adds that these improvements have not only created a safer environment for babies and their mothers, but have also raised the overall standard of care they provide.
It's truly rewarding to see the gratitude in the eyes of our patients when they enter our newly renovated and modernized facilities. Their appreciation is a testament to the transformative power of investing in healthcare infrastructure, and it motivates us to continue striving for excellence in maternal and childcare.
Prior to the rehabilitation, hospital staff were using unsafe methods to treat and dispose of medical waste, which posed a risk to their health. However, after the rehabilitation, an incinerator was built outside the hospital premises, following proper procedures for waste disposal. Special training was also provided to staff to ensure proper use of the incinerator. In addition to rehabilitation works, the lifesaving medical equipment such as medical ventilators, defibrillators, ultrasound scanners, incubators and photo therapy units were provided to Isfara Central Hospital.
"I am very grateful to the doctors and staff in the newly renovated surgery department for the exceptional care they gave my son during his appendectomy. The hospital has really changed and has a new look with modern equipment, comfortable beds, modern toilets and washrooms and a very modern kitchen". -says Boirova Safro, one of the mothers from Isfara, whose son had surgery at the hospital.
By 2025, more health facilities in Tajikistan like the one in Isfara will be rehabilitated and renovated under the EU-funded Health Development Programme, giving more children and their families access to quality and improved health services.
Within Health Development Programme, funded by the European Union, UNICEF works on Infection Prevention and Control Component in Tajikistan. This component of the programme will address water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) needs, with a focus on improving healthcare waste management infrastructure to meet national standards, and improving the quality of infrastructure and infection prevention and control practices in selected healthcare facilities nationwide. The programme also aims to provide critical personal protective equipment (PPE), including masks for health workers, and to procure ventilators for the treatment and care of COVID-19 patients. In addition, the programme will focus on building the capacity of healthcare providers in COVID-19 detection, treatment and care, and developing supportive policies.