This week in Kivulini we were faced with many more obstetric emergencies. Women arrive at all hours of the day from all the rural communities that surround us. Mostly they are unannounced so we always have to be in a state of readiness in the maternity unit.

On Monday we were contacted by our partners THE FLYING MEDICAL SERVICE to say they had flown out to the rural community, 200 KM from Arusha and were picking up a 16-year-old teenager who was pregnant and bleeding heavily.

We mobilized our emergency team and prepared the theatre and the blood bank. An hour later an emergency response team headed to Arusha airport, 15 minutes from the centre to meet the plane and receive Joyce and her mum who was flying with her. This was an out of this world experience for both who had never been beyond their rural community.

Once they arrived, they were brought straight to the centre and into theatre. An emergency C-section was performed and Joyce delivered a 38-week little boy weighing 2.6 Kg. He required immediate resuscitation from our trained clinical team and was soon safe in the arms of his mum.

Joyce was given care as part of our teenage programme sponsored by UNITE THE WORLD WITH AFRICA and was given the teenage starter pack sponsored by our relationship with the Swallow Trust and the Ben McDonald Fund.

We are delighted that together we are saving lives here in Arusha. Both mum and Baby would not have survived without the dedication of Maternity Africa staff and The Flying Medical Service. We are also grateful for the amazing partnership with our sponsors who are responsible for giving funds to make this possible.

Asante Sana