Donation of a haematology analyser for clinic in Burkina Faso

Jun 19, 2017
wksadmin

The Labexchange Foundation – Wolfgang-Kuster-Stiftung has donated a Siemens Advia 120 haematology analyser to the St Marcel non-profit outpatient clinic in Burkina Faso. The analysis device embarked on its journey to Africa back in March. Now on site, it is playing its part in reducing infant mortality.

The head of the clinic, Dr med Albert Compaore, approached Labexchange at the beginning of the year, asking for support in the form of a haematology analyser for the St Marcel community outpatient clinic in Zinairé.

Zinairé is located approximately 40 km east of the capital, Ouagadougou. It has a population of 30,000. The majority of its inhabitants are poor farmers who lack food and adequate medical care. Malaria and Aids, parasitic diseases and anaemia are the main diseases which characterise day-to-day medical care at the clinic. Chronic anaemia means that the rate of infant mortality is very high. In order to contribute to a reduction in infant mortality, it is necessary to perform systematic, preventive blood count analysis of children. This enables early diagnosis and the start of therapy.To carry out its valuable work, the clinic required a haematology analyser for this vital blood count analysis.

Labexchange – Die Laborgerätebörse provided the urgently needed device and donated a Siemens Advia 120 haematology analyser worth 7500 euros to the Labexchange Foundation for use in a range of different blood analyses. The high-quality analysis device was brought to a collection point operated by the haulier Spedition Denkinger in Ehingen. From there, it embarked on its journey to Africa in March.

Each day, around 100 analyses are carried out at the clinic’s rudimentarily equipped laboratory. In times of epidemic, this number can be as high as 200 ‒ and rising. Since inhabitants of the surrounding villages now also come to the St Marcel outpatient clinic for treatment, the capacity of the laboratory is quickly exhausted – a further reason why the Siemens Advia 120 is so desperately needed. The promotion of medical care in poorer countries, as well as support for such institutions, are causes which are particularly close to the heart of the Labexchange Foundation.

The clinic is operated by the Omnia Pro Medico organisation, which was also founded by Dr Compaore. He received his medical training at the Karl Marx University in Leipzig and the Albert Einstein University in Ulm. The clinic serves exclusively charitable purposes and is financed by donations, external funds and its own economic activities. The clinic covers a broad care spectrum, from general health care, awareness programmes, the treatment of leprosy, tuberculosis, malaria and Aids patients to the treatment of kidney disease and performance of haemodialys is.