HealthCARE

NYAKIPAMBO DISPENSARY

After donating an ultrasound machine to the Mdabulo dispensary-clinic, our association has been committed to the development of the dispensary in Nyakipambo, also located in Tanzania. For those unfamiliar, a dispensary in Africa is a facility that lies somewhere between a pharmacy, a clinic, and a hospital. Since the beginning of our cooperation, the goal of ADJ’s Healthcare Project has been to transform the initial rudimentary structure into a fully functioning medical center, equipped with a clinical analysis laboratory, a delivery room, and a dental station.

Thanks to the upgrades carried out over the years, the dispensary today provides medical consultations for those with health problems, prenatal check-ups for pregnant women, vaccinations, and the distribution of medications — including those for HIV. Beds are also available for women in labor.

We collaborated with the Alto Garda and Ledro Missionary Group in setting up the laboratory. As a result of these developments, the Nyakipambo dispensary has for some years now been officially recognized by the Tanzanian Ministry of Health and is operational 24/7. The staff, provided by the state, consists of two doctors and three nurses working in three daily shifts (morning, afternoon, and night), along with one midwife and one laboratory technician.

The final step yet to be completed is the construction of a new facility for mothers in labor — the Maternity Unit, whose project can be viewed here.

The rooms of the Dispensary with the pharmacy and an examination room

Together with Dr. Pascal during his visit and while practicing with the Butterfly ultrasound scanner

Update: 9/14/2025

In June of this year, we travelled to Tanzania to monitor the progress of the construction work on the Maternity Unit – the project and its development phases can be viewed in the dedicated section accessible from the dropdown menu under the Health Project – which began in 2024. We also carried out an inspection of the facilities in Nyakipambo, whose renovation and upgrade we have actively contributed to over the years. All the structures are currently operational and well-maintained by the local community that manages them.

Update: 3/7/2022

Finally back in Tanzania, we spent entire days at the dispensary where, together with Dr. Pascal, we worked hard to meet the many healthcare needs presented by the patients. We delivered a fantastic ultrasound device, the Butterfly, which consists of a probe—about the size of an electric shaver, to give an idea—that connects to a tablet where the ultrasound images are displayed.

We then trained Dr. Pascal to perform ultrasounds for pregnancy monitoring as well as for the assessment of the internal abdominal organs.

Update: 2/1/2022

Although the SARS-Cov-2 pandemic did not allow travel to Nyakipambo and major work to begin, ADJ was able to fund the purchase of a blood cell counting machine to perform the blood count, as it was a year ago designed.
In the meantime, the engineer Stefano Riggio has carried out the project of the Delivery Room which constitutes a very ambitious project for the implementation of the Dispensary of Nyakipambo. All information on this can be found here.

Update: 12/1/2021

Thanks to the implementations made over the last 4 years, currently the dispensary has been recognized by the Tanzanian Ministry of Health and is active 24/24 hours. The staff that manages it, provided by the state, is composed of two doctors and three nurses who take turns in three shifts a day (morning, afternoon and night), one midwife and a laboratory technique.
ADJ currently intends to provide support for the purchase of a laboratory machine (blood cell counter to perform the blood count) and to make an extension of the delivery room requested by the Ministry of Health (to learn more click here).

Update: 3/25/2017

The Nyakipambo 'dispensary' is now an important healthcare reality.
It often happens that patients with diseases arrive there that cannot find answers elsewhere and that, also through health contacts in Italy, they can find the right clinical interpretations and possible diagnoses.
Steps are currently being taken to make it a "Health Center", its placement in importance has already received recognition in passing from provincial to regional level and projects are being made for recognition at national level.
This will require an expansion of the healthcare workforce and related residential buildings.

Update: 9/23/2016

January 16, 2016 a container of various equipment and materials has arrived with which the Nyakipambo dispensary has been extensively evolved and implemented. The initiative was conceived and implemented by other volunteers in Salerno where Father Methodius carried out its activity in Italy and with which we collaborated by allocating part of our funds. Currently the dispensary is a health reference not only for the inhabitants of Nyakipambo but also for other nearby realities.

Update: 9/17/2015

The project is currently in the reconnaissance phase during which the characteristics of the existing structure will be examined so that the structural works to be carried out to modify the building according to future needs, the electro-medical devices, the laboratory material and the other sanitary equipment, including furniture, necessary.