US embassy cable - 05DJIBOUTI324

UNCLAS DJIBOUTI 000324 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR AF AND AF/E 
STATE ALSO PASS USAID 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, EAID, SOCI, DJ 
SUBJECT:  OPENING OF MEDEHO AND ALAILI DADDA HEALTH FACILITIES 
 
 
1.  (U) Official ceremonies were held March 29 and 30 in the rural 
communities of Alaili Dadda and Medeho, located in the northern distric 
of Obock, to open two health facilities newly renovated under USAID 
auspices.  Both facilities had been completely neglected since 
originally constructed, and had suffered tremendous damage during 
the civil war, taking direct impacts from mortars and other explosive 
devices. Now these rural clinics are completely rehabilitated and ready 
to begin receiving patients. Eight other clinics will undergo 
rehabilitation starting near the end of April. 
 
2.  (U)  A delegation,  which included the Minister of Health, Obock 
District Commissioner, USAID Senior Health Advisor and USAID Health 
Sector Reform Project Team headed by the Chief of Party, inaugurated th 
Alaili Dadda and Medeho projects. Large crowds were on hand for both 
events, and included most of the community and a Djiboutian military 
detachment from Obock city. The Djiboutian media covered both events. 
USAID Senior Health Advisor, on behalf of the American people, thanked 
the Ministry of Health and the respective communities for their effort 
to complete the rehabilitation of these clinics ahead of schedule. He 
encouraged community members to bring women and children to begin 
receiving services. 
 
3.  (U) In his turn, the Minister of Health thanked the US government 
and USAID for their financing and involvement in the renovation of the 
two rural clinics, saying that they would provide better access to 
health services for the most vulnerable people in these communities. Th 
ribbon-cutting ceremonies were followed by a brief tour of the 
facilities and neighboring houses,  which will be occupied by head 
nurses in each community. The contractors for the rehabilitation did an 
excellent job, utilizing partitions between sections, offering the head 
nurses in each clinic consultation rooms as well as examination rooms. 
Additionally, a maternity section was added to each facility, which 
previously did not exist. Solar panels were ordered but not yet 
installed and water reservoirs and sanitation systems are now 
functioning.  Head nurses in both clinics will soon participate in 
continuing education and refresher training at the district level. The 
training courses are being planned as a next step in USAID Djibouti's 
health sector reform project. District trainers, who were recently 
trained in the capital during the "training of trainers" short-course, 
are working to start training sessions by mid-April. 
 
4. (U)  Comment:  Work done to complete both of these facilities ahead 
of schedule was phenomenal when one considers the difficult conditions 
of both sites. Both communities are remote and accessible only by 
traveling on very bad roads.  The road to Medeho, although only one hou 
and ten minutes drive from the district capital, was a treacherous clim 
up and down mountains, covered with large boulders, and composed of 
narrow turns and precipitous slopes. The encouraging note is that even 
in these remote areas materials and supplies were delivered in a 
timely manner during the renovation. We will work with the government 
of Djibouti to assure the capacity to deliver medical supplies to the 
facilities in a timely manner.  End comment. 
RAGSDALE