At the heart of Grand Bassam, our outpatient clinic provides medical care to around 20,000 people every year – from HIV/Aids treatment and support for malnourished children, to school fees, microloans and social assistance for the poorest families. What emerges is far more than a medical facility: a network of care that supports people through every stage of life.
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Centre Espoir Un – The Ambulatory
Infrastructure and premises
Since its founding, the outpatient clinic has been continuously expanded and renovated by Aziz, Lotti Latrous's husband. Today, in Grand Bassam, it comprises several consultation rooms arranged around a covered courtyard with a waiting area. The facility also includes a laboratory, an X-ray room, an ultrasound room, two pharmacies – one for Aids medication, one for general medicines – a social welfare office, and a kitchen where porridge is prepared and distributed for malnourished babies and young children. Two rooms with three beds each are also available for outpatient treatment. The first floor houses the accounting, medical records and human resources offices, as well as a meeting room.
Staff
The clinic employs three doctors – two specialising in HIV/Aids, one emergency physician – along with a radiologist, two radiology technicians, three social workers, a pharmacist with two assistants, three laboratory technicians, three administrative staff and six qualified nurses. Three further staff members are responsible for infant care and the feeding of severely malnourished babies. Two drivers accompany our patients to specialist institutions such as physiotherapy centres, cardiologists, oncologists and tuberculosis centres. We also employ day and night security guards.
Medical services
The new clinic carries out an average of 20,000 general consultations each year, with numbers continuing to rise. We also care for over 5,000 Aids patients, who receive their treatment free of charge with us, along with all necessary laboratory tests. We also support around 40 babies born to HIV-positive mothers, providing them with formula milk each week. In addition, 25 severely malnourished children receive a nutritious meal of porridge every day. Each month, we carry out around 200 routine check-ups for babies and young children, monitoring their weight and general state of health.
Social support
Thanks to a generous donor, we have received a tonne of rice every month for years, which we distribute to the poorest families. 800 children are supported with school fees through another significant donation. We cover the monthly rent for 400 women, and more than 500 families receive social assistance until their situation stabilises, at which point we aim, where possible, to provide them with a microloan.
Reintegration of HIV-positive children
More than 85 HIV-positive children, who lived with us for a time, have since been reintegrated into their families – with grandparents or aunts. These families receive monthly financial support. A social worker employed specifically for this purpose visits each of these children once a month to check both their school performance and their adherence to HIV therapy.
