Catholic Diocese of Arusha Medical Board

Wasso Hospital

Introduction

Situation and Population

Hospital Management

Staff numbers

Key Statistics

see the news page for the latest reports from Wasso Hospital

Introduction

The catholic priest and physician, the late Dr. Herbert Watschinger founded Wasso Hospital as a mission hospital in 1964. Until his death in 1991 funds and donations in kind originated mainly from private and church related sources in Austria.

Since 1991 the Austrian Government provides the major amount of funding for current expenditure and investment of the hospital within the frame of the bilateral development co-operation of Tanzania and Austria.

Since 1995 Wasso Hospital has officially functioned as the District Designated Hospital for the Ngorongoro District with curative, preventive and promotive services. The designation is based on an agreement between the Catholic Diocese of Arusha as the legal owner and the Ministry of Health for the Tanzanian Government. The hospital is since then entitled to receive government grants for staff, drugs and other charges.

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Situation and Population

Wasso Hospital is located in the Arusha Region of northern Tanzania and more specifically in the highlands of the northern half of the Ngorongoro District (14,036 square km). The District Headquarters are at the little town of Loliondo.

Wasso is 9 km south of Loliondo located at an altitude of 2,005 m above sea level. The border to Kenya is 35 km to the north.

The district population is estimated to be 129,776 people from national census of 2002 at a growth rate of 4.0% per year. Total household in the district is 26,722 with an average size of 4.9. There is a very low population density of about 9.2 per square kilometres compared to the national of 39 per square km. All people are living in remote rural areas, Wasso being 400 km distant from the regional town Arusha.

The area is mostly semi-arid, comprising steppe, acacia shrub with riverine woodland and forests, the latter especially at the higher altitudes. Depending on the elevation ranging from 610 m at Lake Natron in the rift valley to 3.290 m in the crater highlands there is a tropical to subtropical climate. Most of the year is dry with a short and a longer rainy season providing pasture for the numerous wild animals and livestock. But the low rainfall is in most of the area insufficient for agriculture.

Wasso Hospital is the only hospital in the northern half of Ngorongoro District. The nearest hospital is Endulen, 213 km away at the southern border of the district. With the exception of the few villages the majority of the people are living scattered and far remote in the vast area, without means of modern communication, roads, schools or health facilities.

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Hospital Management

Wasso Hospital has a staff of about 98 persons. The Archdiocese of Arusha is the owner of Wasso and Endulen Hospital. They both operate on the same organisational structure.

The Archdiocesan Medical Board is the policy making body for health matters. The Board of Governors implements the health policy and is the decision making board of the hospital.

The Archdiocesan Medical Board, the Wasso Hospital Board of Governors, the Hospital Management Team and the Hospital Management Committee are the major components of the hierarchical structure. The Board of Governors and the Archdiocesan Medical Board meet quarterly. The Hospital Management Committee meets monthly and General Staff Meetings are held quarterly.

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Staff numbers

Medical Staff	Dec 2004
Medical Officer in charge of Wasso Hospital	1
Medical Officer	1
Physiotherapist	1
Clinical Officers (1 is in training)	7
Dental Therapist	1
Laboratory Technician	1
Laboratory Assistants	2
Laboratory Attendant	2
Radiographic Assistant	1
Radiographic Attendant	1
Pharmacy Assistant	1
Pharmacy Attendants	1
Health Recorder	1
Outpatient Department Clerks.	1
Nursing Staff
Nursing Officers	8
Nurse Midwives	12
Trained Nurses, both are nurse anaesthetists	2
Nurse Assistants	19
Public Health Nurse	2
Health Attendants	7

Staff Requirements

1 Assistant Medical Officer
2 Clinical Officers

5 Nursing Officers
10 Nurse Midwives
2 Public Health Nurse
3 Nurse Assistants

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Key Statistics

Wasso	Jan - Jun 2002	Jul - Dec 2002	Jan - Jun 2003	Jul - Dec 2003	Jan - Jun 2004	Jul - Dec 2004
Out Patients	5989	7269	8294	5520	6927	6021
Out Patients per day		39.5	45.8	30	38	32.7
In Patient Admissions	978	860	896	755	842	756
Admissions per day		4.7	4.9	4.1	4.6	4.1
Total of in patient days	15889	16238	17939	15741	16844	17496
Average stay in days	16.28	18.9	20.0	20.8	20	23
Bed occupancy rate	110%	102%	115%	99.5%	108%	110%
Total number of deaths	41	51	35	42	48	36
Total number of deliveries	128	147	116	128	147	140
Maternal deaths	2	0	1	6	2	1

Notes:

In Patient Capacity is 86 beds
Jan-Jun 2003: The higher number of outpatient attendances is mainly caused by rain season and thus increased incidence of malaria cases during the reporting time. A total of 2622 malaria outpatients attended during the last reporting period. During this reporting period the number was 3300. A poor health system in the district also contributes to this matter.
Jul-Dec 2002: The higher number of outpatient attendances is probably caused by increased incidence of malaria cases after the short rains. A total of 2630 malaria outpatients attended during the first half of this year, and during the second half the number was 2622, which is more than twice of the same period last year. A poor health system in the district also contributes to this matter.
Jul-Dec 2002: The increase in average length of stay is at least partly due to much higher admission rates for tuberculosis patients who stay in the hospital at least for a period of two months: January to June 67, and July to December 98 patients were admitted for Tuberculosis.

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