ACTIVITIES
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Full Service Dental Clinic
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Community Health
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Specialized Medical Center
With the above three activities Dodoma Christian Medical Center (DCMC), working in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, is developing a multi-dimensional and integrated approach to improving health care in the Dodoma area.
![[PHOTO] Waiting Patients](images/waiting_patients.jpg)
Wallace McKenzie DMD, and his wife Kathryn from Welches Oregon began mobilizing this project in 2003 by providing the design and collecting the modern dental equipment which was shipped by Global Health Ministries. The clinic includes a library/training space, two operatories for high tech dental needs, and two operatories for low tech dentistry. It opened January 2007 under the direction of Chief Dental Officer Charles Rabemahefa DDS MPH from Madagascar. He is now assisted by Dr. Francis Mdoe. The dentists saw 1321 patients the first year. Planned training from visiting short-term dentists is key to the program. Dr. James Herrick, Austin Minnesota is a returning trainer. The DCMC program established a dental team in Dodoma and started a prevention and nutrition program in two Dodoma town schools. The prevention program has been introduced in village schools in Ntyuka, Nkuhungu, Chamkoroma and Lwihomelo. Patients from as far away as Dar es Salaam and Arusha seek DCMC dental services. Generous donors to DTHD have established a poor fund to help provide care for those who are unable to pay.
The Health Center which is adjacent to the DCMC Dental Clinic started providing outpatient services to patients from Dodoma town and the neighboring village in August 2008. The programming and community outreach from the center has the potential of changing Central Tanzania's grim maternal/child mortality statistics. When fully operational the Health Center will continue to offer ambulatory care for all patients with a special focus on:
DCMC manages three rural Lutheran dispensaries located in Kondoa, Lwilhomelo, and Chamkoroma; DCMC's neighbor, Ntyuka village, recently asked DCMC to provide oversight for their dispensary. Community involvement and outreach from a dispensary can have a great public health impact on a community. Maximizing the role of prevention and public health is the assignment of DCMC's first Community Health Director Katrin Boehl. During the year 2007 the dispensaries treated a total of 6,521 patients. Children under five accounted for 2,023 of that number. Malaria or upper respiratory infections were the most common diseases. Accomplishments in the rural area include:
DCMC has identified the pressing need for improved staff housing for the rural workers and DTHD has taken on the fund raising efforts. Westwood Lutheran Church and Calvary Lutheran Church in Minneapolis have been generous contributors. The dispensaries also have German partners.
Drexler Plus Partners from Munich Germany is supplying architectural services for the hospital. In preparation, DCMC personnel toured many hospitals in Tanzania and developed room schedules. A flexible modular plan has been developed which could accommodate as many as 150 beds and achieve the goals of cost effectiveness and good medicine. Four areas of specialties are needed in the Dodoma area.
Dodoma Innovation and Production Company will provide the construction utilizing the bricks made on site and creating a cost savings to DCMC. This company was formed by investors to provide for-profit businesses to insure future sustainability for the hospital.
DCMC's goal is to develop a Tanzanian-US dental andmedical center partnerships to provide intercultural exchange, training, sustainable excellence and mutual growth. A University of Minnesota delegation made DCMC made one of their stops to explore possible partnership connections this summer. DCMC Guest Flats provide volunteers with a place to stay
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