Earlier in 2024 the Global Grant we partnered on to renovate the maternity ward at Prince Regent Charles Hospital in Bujumbura, Burundi was completed. Dugan Lamoise reported on our efforts to build on that success through a Global Grant to renovate the hospital’s neonatal ward. In addition to this renovation work, we plan to partner on another Global Grant that will supply critical equipment and support for neonatal care training for the medical staff.
Rosalie Morin-Doré, the niece of our Past President Brett Mattei, is a nurse practitioner with clinical experience working in regions of Canada that, like Burundi, are under-resourced and remote. Rosalie was eager to contribute to a Rotary International project, and she recently spent a week at Prince Regent Charles Hospital rounding with the clinicians and documenting practices to understand the training and equipment needs that would be best addressed by a Global Grant. During her visit Rosalie trained the ward staff on kangaroo mother care with guidance from Drs. Karin Davies and Pat Bromberger, who were leads on our Global Grant in the Gondar region of Ethiopia. Rosalie’s work will be instrumental for a critical part of any Global Grant, the needs assessment and we’re grateful for her contributions to our ongoing work in Burundi.