ACWECA: Recounting Covid-19 Nasty Experiences
Sr. Dr. Hellen Kyilyosudu (Rt), Sr. Clara Mangwengwe Coordinator for Covid - 19 project (Middle) & Sr. Barbara Kimaro — Counselor (Lf)
Sr. Helen Kasaka, LSMI
The Covid-19 pandemic situation affected the ministries of many Sisters in the AMECEA and ACWECA region. Many institutes’ operations were affected economically, socially, and spiritually. A number of congregations experienced a big crisis in terms of stability, efficiency, and performance.
It is for this reason that ACWECA fulfils its mission which is to promote the spirit of collaboration and sharing of spiritual, human and economic resources among member conferences to enhance the capacity of healthcare service providers to overcome Covid-19 effects ACWECA applied for funds from the Hilton Foundation to assist the sisters in the region.
Sr. Dr. Hellen Kyilyosudu, a medical officer in charge of St. Joseph Hospital in Moshi Tanzania belonging to the Sisters of Our Lady of Kilimanjaro recounts the untold and unforgettable experience that she went through during the breakout of Covid-19 which led to the loss of lives of many people; both Religious and the Laity worldwide.
According to Sr. Helen, St. Joseph Hospital was not spared. Former medical officer in charge Sr. Dr. Urbani Marceli Lyimo CDNK, died during the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic while treating and taking care of Covid-19 patients mainly Priests and Nuns.
That was the first painful experience of the Covid-19 pandemic that Sr. Dr Hellen went through as she had worked with the deceased since November 2015 at her first appointment after she had completed her internship at Bugando Medical Centre in Mwanza City.
She remembers Sr. Dr. Urbani Marceli Lyimo as her lovely spiritual director as well as Apostolate Mentor and her death through the cruel hand of COVID-19 set a very tough time in her life.
During the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, 10 staff members at the hospital confirmed Covid-19 positive while others were exempted from daily duties due to Covid-19 signs and symptoms and even others due to fear of the Pandemic.
At the height of the viral infections, people died from pulmonary embolism causing great distress to the medical staff. There was support from the government which provided 30 oxygen Cylinders (from the Ministry of Health through the RMO office), and this was not enough when the situation was worse during the third wave.
Sr. Dr. Hellen Kyilyosudu also points out that it was very sad with the high mortality rate among priests at 28% and nuns at 14% if counted separately.
However, most priests and nuns died during the third wave in which the virus had already mutated and it was very difficult to treat the symptoms as compared to the first and second waves.
Sisters at the hospital with other health workers did their best but still, patients with very serious conditions in need of oxygen (with breathing difficulties) were referred to Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre due to the lack of an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at St. Joseph hospital; some reached safely whereas others died on the way to KCMC.
According to Sr. Dr. Hellen Kyilyosudu, Sisters at the hospital attended to 747 suspected cases in total, and about 240 were confirmed Positive for COVID-19 among which, 202 patients were treated and recovered unfortunately 27 deaths were registered from positive confirmed cases, which added to the anguish of the staff.
The religious Sister expressed disappointment that a number of consecrated sisters and priests at the hospital passed on due to the unavailability of Intensive Care Units (ICU), and standard radiology department.
In all three waves of COVID-19, Sr. Dr. Hellen noted that the hospital operated with difficulties due to insufficient funds to purchase medicine, medical supplies, and medical equipment necessary for treating COVID-19 cases.
Sr. Dr. Hellen also admits that the Covid-19 pandemic did not only impact St. Joseph Hospital negatively but also positively that as they encountered social, spiritual, and mainly economic crisis, the ACWECA grant helped them a lot.
There is now improved infrastructure (construction of the well-ventilated waiting area for the patients and visitors; the initiation of the construction of the new maternity building with five floors which will contain the ICU and departments which were lacking at the hospital) and sufficient knowledge on emergency preparedness.
She said with a donation from ACWECA, they were able to purchase medicine and mostly medical supplies as it was in great need. Those who could not afford treatment costs were able to get service easily. They were also able to accommodate a large number of Covid-19 cases as compared to other hospitals of the same level around the Kilimanjaro region. And most of the patients had good outcomes. St. Joseph became the leading Hospital in the Kilimanjaro region with a good cure rate of 88.9% of COVID-19-positive confirmed cases.
Sr Josephine added that improved handwashing facilities and sanitisation were established at each door to reduce the rate of spread of COVID-19 infection, on-job training in proper management of COVID-19 cases and ensuring that there are sufficient protective gears (PPE such as gloves; there was generally a great improvement in the aspects of IPC (Infection, Prevention, and Control) for the whole Hospital environments.
She said the fund helped them to acquire a constant supply of Oxygen for those cases which were Oxygen dependants.
Sr. Dr. Hellen highlighted that all these efforts were successful because of the grant from ACWECA; staff became comfortable treating COVID-19 cases without any fear, operational activities became easier and there was a high cure rate of positively confirmed cases at 88.9%. We are very grateful for the generous support you gave us during this COVID-19 pandemic.
Sr. Kyilyosudu expressed gratitude to ACWECA for the grant saying, “We are very grateful for the generous support you gave us during the COVID-19 pandemic and for visiting our healthcare facility. It was a blessing to me and the whole Team of St. Joseph Hospital. All these efforts were successful because of the grant from ACWECA. Staff became comfortable treating COVID-19 cases without any fear, operational activities became easier and we had a very high cure rate of positively confirmed cases (88.9%)”.
The hospital was founded by Sr. Cecilia Mbuya CDNK, who served as the first African Superior General of the Congregation. She was inspired to establish a health centre in 1998 after she saw a woman delivering a baby at the farm where currently the Hospital is located, while she was on the way to Mawenzi Referral Regional Hospital.
