Diaspora-built mother and child hospitals in Baardheere and Caabudwaaq

In short

In the 2000s, Somalis abroad paid for small hospitals for mothers and children in their home towns. Three of them have Wikipedia articles, which are the source for this page.

East Bardera Mothers and Children's Hospital, Baardheere (2006)

The hospital, known locally as Isbitaalka Bariga Baardheere, was set up in May 2006 by Somalis living in North America (Wikipedia). Baardheere is the largest city in Gedo region (same source).

• Why it opened: the town's general hospital, which had served it for about 40 years, was destroyed in 1991. The main Bardera hospital was out of service from 1994 (same source).
• Staff: a team of nurses and a senior midwife; women are 75% of the staff (same source).
• Money: founders and friends pay for medicines, rent and salaries. Running costs were a little over $30,000 a year (same source).
• Supplies: most medicines and equipment come from supporters in the United States and Canada. A local businessman welded the beds (same source).
• Patients: more than 6,000 people used it in 2007 (Wikipedia, West Bardera).

In 2007, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) Spain tried to re-equip the main Bardera hospital; Wikipedia says armed militias blocked the effort (Wikipedia).

West Bardera Maternity Unit (2008)

The unit opened on 13 December 2008 as an offshoot of the East Bardera hospital, to serve the west side of town and nearby Sarinley and Muuri (Wikipedia). It offers antenatal care, deliveries, post-natal care and child vaccination, often free (same source).

Four women work there: midwives, nurses and a junior pharmacist. Eight work at the East Bardera hospital, and the two share one pharmacy (same source). Bardera Polytechnic trains the staff at no cost (same source).

Abudwak Maternity and Children's Hospital, Caabudwaaq (2009)

Diaspora friends of Caabudwaaq, the largest town in Galgaduud, campaigned for two years before the hospital opened in July 2009 in a rented building of nine rooms (Wikipedia). It serves Caabudwaaq and nearby Balanbal, Bangeeleey and Dhabad (same source).

• Before it opened: patients with serious illness or difficult pregnancies travelled half a day to Gaalkacyo (same source). In September 2007 a polio vaccination worker was killed in the area (same source).
• Staff: two midwives, two junior nurses, a pharmacist and an infectious disease specialist (same source).
• Services: antenatal and delivery care, post-natal care, children's health, a pharmacy and an outpatient clinic (same source).
• Supporters: Somalicare, the Somali-American Women Aid Project and the Somali Education and Health Organization (same source).

Read more

• Health in Somalia: the key numbers
• Hospitals in Somalia by city
• Gedo region
• Galgaduud region