Kalagane Health Center

August 19, 2009
During my conversation with Dr Mukwege, we discussed the possibility of visiting a community health center to get a broader picture of the health care structure and resources in the area. He felt this would be worthy of a short trip and suggested Kalagane Health Center near Nyatente village. It was decided that I would visit this center right away and then return to Panzi in the afternoon to tour the surgical suites and interview women and health workers. It was only a few kilometers away, though it took a while to drive due to the mountain roads. The health center was situated in a really beautiful area. When we arrived, I met the head of the center and he gave me a tour. They have a feeding center that feeds 300 children who are malnourished. They come one time per week and receive a cup of porridge to eat; they are given Masoso to take home with them. Masoso is a mixture of maize flour, soybean flour, sugar, and sorghum flour. The health workers also showed me a little shed where they are rearing rabbits and guinea pigs which provide some protein to the children that they would otherwise not have access to. They also have a vegetable garden. There is a maternity ward at the health center which conducts about 15 births per month. They have only basic supplies and much refer patients with any complications.