In 1999 our Outpatient Department (OPD) saw an average of 67 children per day. Today this number stands at 500, sometimes rising to 600. Open five and a half days per week, along with theEmergency Room, this is our busiest department.Medical assessment
The OPD is for patients walking into the hospital for the first time. The team assess each child and determine if they need to be referred to other departments such as the Inpatient Department or the Eye Clinic. To enable this, AHC has developed a triage system based on the World Health Organization’s Integrated Management of Childhood Illness guidelines, and adapted them to be appropriate to our facilities and training levels. Nurses who have undergone advanced training care for 40% of the patients, allowing doctors to assist those suffering from severe illnesses. This extra attention to the most urgent cases can be the difference between life and death.
Specialized training
Our medical team is trained in standard outpatient care as well as specialized training in hematology, asthma management, epilepsy, HIV/AIDS, cardiology and other specialties. Children in need of specialty care are provided with follow-up evaluations and treatment plans.
Financial support for families
The decision to come to AHC is often delayed due to the family’s economic situation. Those who can not afford transportation need time to borrow money, and this delay means the child becomes critically ill. As a part of our holistic view of helping children, once the child has received treatment, parents are reimbursed transportation costs and we also look into possible further support for the family.
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