1. JDF Trains Traditional Birth Attendants

    December 6, 2009

    The Duk Lost Boys Clinic trained its first group of Traditional Birth Attendants this past week. Led by the Clinic’s Midwife and one of its nurses, the week-long session brought together women from every part of Duk County, teaching them about safe birthing practices, hygiene, and pre-natal care.

    Traditional Birth Attendants receive training at the Duk Lost Boys Clinic

    These women have traditionally helped deliver babies in villages but without any formal training or supplies. Because of the distance to the Clinic, many delivering mothers can’t come for the birthing services offered here. However, the training included how to detect high-risk deliveries, so the TBAs will know to refer women to the Clinic. The women were given safe birthing kits that included sterile razors to cut the umbilical cord, sterile towels and gloves. Clinical staff will conduct follow-ups in the field to monitor the progress of the TBAs and provide further advice.

    A baby receives medicine at the DLBC

    The TBAs got started right away, as the day after graduation two accompanied a delivering mother to the Clinic. Working side-by-side with the Clinic’s Nurse-midwife, they delivered a healthy baby girl at the clinic Saturday morning.

    The John Dau Foundation’s Medical Directors, Drs Barb Connor and David Reed, happened to be visiting the week of the training and helped hand out certificates and t-shirts to the graduates.

    TBAs celebrate after graduating

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