Sierra Leone has one of the highest maternal and child mortality rates in the world. Per 1.000 live born babies, 109 will die before reaching the age of 5 years. And in every 100.000 deliveries 796 women do not survive. In the Netherlands it’s only 4 women per 100.000 deliveries.
Lion Heart Medical Centre (LHMC) is a non-profit hospital, located in the rural heart of Sierra Leone. As it is the only hospital in a vast region, LHMC is the first referral option for 22 surrounding health centres (PHU’s) covering a population of over 150.000 inhabitants. On a yearly basis, we admit around 3.000 patients and assist in 600 deliveries.
In our rural community conducting safe delivery is often difficult. Many women still deliver at home, where lifesaving healthcare for both mother and baby can’t be provided. Since our furthest PHU is 46 km away, only reachable by a bumpy dirt road, one can imagine it is difficult and expensive for many women to reach the hospital in time. Especially in the case of an emergency.
We want to provide the best maternal and neonatal care as possible, inside and outside of the hospital! We want to visit the furthest PHU’s to scan the bellywomen there and detect the high risk pregnancies in time. We want to upgrade our ambulances so we can also provide an emergency case with good care on the road. For the maternity ward, we want to purchase equipment to optimally monitor both baby and mother during delivery. Also, we want to create a separate neonatal care unit with a dedicated nurse 24/7 to improve our care for the newborns that are struggling. And we want to expand our activities when it comes to training and teaching in the hospital and the community. But all of this is not possible without your help!
We believe that every woman has the right to a safe delivery and every baby has the right to a safe beginning. Please support our efforts to save as many babies and mothers as possible!
Every little bit counts!
For €20,- we can afford a can of formula milk
For €42,- we can go on outreach to a remote village to scan pregnant women
For €120,- we can afford to have a dedicated nurse 24/7 at the neonatal care unit
For €1.000,- we can buy an incubator
Thank you so much in advance, on behalf of the entire team of Lion Heart Medical Center!
You can donate on our GoFundMe-page or make a direct transfer to the bank account of the Lion Heart Foundation quoting the crowdfunding: Stichting Lion Heart Foundation, Triodos Bank, NL93TRIO0254840256