An official ceremony was held by Doctors with Africa CUAMM, in collaboration with Eni, for the handover of 4 ambulances at Mère Maria Elisa Andreoli health center in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, on July 10 at 9:00 AM.
Starting from July 15, the fully equipped 4×4 vehicles will be distributed to four health centers across the country to improve emergency medical services in their respective coverage areas. The beneficiary faith-based centers that received the ambulances are: Kongouanou Specialist Hospital, Beato Luigi Tezza Urban Health Center in Kokoumbo, Madre Franziska Medical Center in Gbagbam, and Brigida Postorino Care Center in Korhogo. The centres had been chosen according to factors such as the number of users, access to specialized services, and the distance from the referral hospital. Indeed, the targeted facilities serve large populations yet they have limited resources, such as the Brigida Postorino Care Center, which assists approximately 695,189 inhabitants, or the Private Faith-Based Specialized Hospital in Kongouanou, which supports around 281,221 people in its health area. The ambulances will be used primarily for obstetric and pediatric emergencies, the transfer of severely chronically ill patients, and other pathologies that require specialized consultations. By deploying the 4×4 ambulances equitable and safe access to care will be ensured to the population, allowing peripheral facilities to transfer patients to general hospitals which can be located up to 70 km away on unpaved roads.
This initiative is part of the “Health For All” project carried out in Ivory Coast by Doctors with Africa CUAMM, in collaboration with Eni, aiming to strengthen emergency management capacities, particularly obstetric and pediatric emergencies, in some of the health centers of to URSSCI network – Union of Religious for Health and Social Care in Ivory Coast, thus ensuring continuity of care.
Doctors with Africa CUAMM has been working in Ivory Coast since 2023. Initially engaged in assessment missions and meetings with local authorities for exploring and understanding the country, the commitment became wider since then leading to the a structured presence in the country, which now represents CUAMM’s ninth intervention area. The commitment focuses on several main actions: supporting and coordinating the URSSCI network (Union of Religious for Health and Social Cohesion in Ivory Coast), which brings together all Catholic congregations in the country, and its legal recognition as a single entity by local authorities; renovation and equipping with drugs and medical supplies, directly involving 13 health centers; and training and updating health personnel through courses conducted in 71 health centers across nine different regions.
