We managed the 15-bed pediatric emergency room as well as the pediatric and neonatal intensive care units (with a total of 64 beds) in the country’s only tertiary facility, Simão Mendes national hospital, in the capital Bissau. We established a triage system in the pediatric emergency unit to guarantee faster and more efficient treatment.
We also supported Ministry of Health staff with management skills development and training, both for their regular activities and for the COVID-19 response.
Neonatal care requires many resources, but MSF proved it was possible to go beyond the basics and treat the most complex and critical patients by introducing new protocols and technologies that are not usually in place in low-income countries.
When our teams left in June 2020, we handed over not only the facilities, but also biomedical equipment, pharmaceutical products, a specialist laboratory for emergency services, and a knowledgeable, experienced and enthusiastic team.