SAVING LIVES IN SIDAMA
Health Care Serving Remote Areas in Ethiopia THE LEKU DISTRICT HOSPITAL: FULFILLING A PROMISE The health care crisis in Ethiopia has had a profound impact on people of the Sidama region. There were only two hospitals serving more than 10 million, leaving most residents with no access to health care of any kind. Emergency care, medication, surgery and maternity services were virtually non-existent. The situation was especially grim for mothers and children. Almost all women give birth at home, usually assisted by untrained birth attendants. If there were complications, the only option for a woman in labor was to walk 15-35 miles to the nearest hospital. In fact, it was not uncommon to see women die in the arms of those carrying them to the closest medical facility. Today, the Leku District Hospital is now serving the people of Sidama! SAVING LIVES IN SIDAMA Wide Horizons For Children (WHFC) joined with the regional government, local health care professionals and th