Prenatal care in Nimba County, as in other parts of West Africa and other countries, is important for ensuring a healthy pregnancy and safe delivery. Turpoe Monseh Soko Memorial Health Center (TMSMHC) looks to provide prenatal care for all expecting mothers, and the basic health care needs for the community for men, women and children which includes the following services:
Midwives & Nursing support --- (TMSMHC) will hire and provide midwives and nursing support for expecting mothers. Midwives and Nurses will be recruited and hired in the U.S. and abroad to assist with Obstetric care (OB) for expected mothers in (Nimba, County West Africa).
Regular prenatal check-ups--- (TMSMHC) will set up nursing stations and clinic services for expecting mothers to attend regular prenatal check-ups throughout their pregnancy. Midwives and Nurses will be recruited locally and abroad to assist with check-ups.
Birthing Stations--- (TMSMHC) will also provide safe birthing stations inside our Health Center for all expecting mothers in need. Mothers will be accompanied by a midwife and / or nurse as they go in labor.
(TMSMHC) as needed will recruit volunteers American active and retired nurses who have a passion to assist women and mothers in third world countries. They will provide OB care for mothers in these areas, be trained on cultural differences, learn basic West African conversational language, and travel as needed within the county, and some will live near and others directly in the county.
Mobile baby/mom aftercare is a service in which we recruit and hire local nurses to travel into the interior in Nimba on a motorbike to service women after they have given birth and or in remission of giving birth. These nurses are part of TMS staff and nearby medical centers as well as those recruited from (TMSMHC) in the U.S.A. and from other partner companies and towns. These nurses support mothers with aftercare services for up to three (3) months. Childbirth aftercare includes a comprehensive range of measures to support the physical and emotional well – being of the mother and ensure a smooth recovery after giving birth. Here are some essential components our nurses provide through this service:
• Monitoring and medical care: check for any postpartum complications and address any concerns or issues that may arise.
• Emotional support: mental health resources, such as counseling are provided if needed through our training center.
• Breastfeeding support: assistance to help mothers establish and maintain successful education or proper techniques and positions.
• Pain management: guidance on managing postpartum pain, including information about pain relievers, proper use of prescribed medications, and non-pharmacological methods such as hot or cold compresses, relaxation techniques, and gentle exercises.
• Perineal care: provided instructions on how to care for the perineal area after vaginal delivery, vaginal delivery, including proper hygiene, pain relief, and ways to promote healing, such as education about signs of infection or complications is also given.
• Nutrition and hydration: guidance on maintaining a healthy diet and staying well-hydrated to support postpartum recovery, particularly if the mother is breastfeeding. Adequate nutrition and hydration are essential for restoring energy levels and promoting healing.
• Rest and physical recovery: Mothers are encouraged to get sufficient rest to allow the body to recover. This may involve recommendations for sleep routines, avoiding strenuous activities, and gradually increasing physical activity as the body heals.
• Family Planning: Discussion, education and resources are available to parents.
(TMSMHC) has a 14-bed and a separate maternity care department with two large delivery rooms and three recovery rooms for mother and baby (s). (TMSMHC) in Nimba County has a population of over 467,893 people with 12 District Towns is where individuals can come and get treatment for a variety of medical issues. We treat diseases such as Malaria, typhoid, Diarrhea, and other infections people may carry. We have trained professional doctors and nurses on staff to help those that are sick and in need of care. Medical services are of low cost to free. The Health Center delivers babies, and treats other medical issues such as cuts, burns, broken bones, and more. Doctors and nurses also provide medications for those in need as well as work with herbal treatments to provide herbal and wholistic treatments of diseases. Due to the small size of the Health Center some major illnesses are treated for a short period of time until patient are able to be transported to another health facility.
(TMSMHC) also educates families on the importance of nutrition and how to eat healthy to prevent diseases. This includes providing information, resources, and support to families to improve their understanding of nutrition so they can make informed choices about their diet and overall health. (TMSMHC) partners with local food agencies within Nimba County, donors, and markets to supply fresh fruits and vegetables, healthy seasonings, water and more quarterly to these remote areas. We also conduct nutrition and dietary classes to instruct native residents on how to prepare their food for both optimum taste and nutrition. To maintain cultural sensitivity, we approach each lesson with the focus on education and not on integration and / or rules. Rather, we show individuals and families how to incorporate cultural dishes with healthier ingredients, and how to eat to maintain healthier living.
Alongside its health and medical services, (TMSMHC) also offers social services including onsite bilingual counselors who treat mental health needs and provide emotional support. These counselors are an available every day to counsel and support social-emotional distresses and needs and are also present in case of emergencies. They are also present to help mothers with postpartum depression, stress, and fatigue. They are trained as translators to provide counsel, support, and recommendations for emotional and mental health treatments for individuals in need.
(TMSMHC) Education Ministry is a ministry that educates adults, youth, and children the youth and children are sent to the nearby schools to give them a chance for education. The ministry focuses on teaching adults, youth and children the step by step fundamentals of God’s word, and encouraging them to share their faith with their neighbor (s), English language, mathematics, science, and technology. Through this ministry, adults, youth and children learn how to speak, read, and write in English. They also learn computers and electronics. Students also get an opportunity to have tutors from America and in Africa through a partnership program with the states. Through this program they receive even more instruction and education on various topics and get to ask questions and study with college students from America.
Mini Micro Account – (TMSMHC) also provides Mini Micro accounts where men and women and families can get access to small loans to start-up businesses to support their families and/ or to pay to send their children to school. (TMSMHC) has helped over 500 families with the Mini Micro loan and families are able to send their children to school.
(TMSMHC) Bible Training Center – Along with our focus on health, education, and business services, we also focus on the spiritual well-being of the residents. In doing so, we make our duty to evangelize and spread the gospel of Jesus Christ as well as teach Bible Study for those who have been converted to Christianity. Along with evangelism and bible study, we also provide Christian Counseling for those in need of a biblical perspective and wisdom on how to cope with their life’s circumstances and situations. We hold Bible Study weekly on Friday as well as conduct evangelism and prayer on Saturday. We believe in the power of God for healing, breaking curses, and changing people’s lives for the good.
Reading Is for Everyone Program – Due to the poor economic conditions and the destruction of thousands of schools in many African countries, many of the children in these countries are receiving a poor education with limited resources and teachers. Moreover, textbooks are outdated, and necessary educational materials are scarce. The “Reading Is for Everyone” initiative is a program that is designed to take modern unused and used textbooks from various educational disciplines and to send those books to African countries abroad to help educate the children and youth. (TMSMHC) will work with local school districts to gather old textbooks (which are more up to date than the older textbooks being used currently abroad) and ship these books to local schools in that region. Moreover, (TMSMHC) will also work with local colleges and universities to retrieve college level books and biology lab equipment to send the college and universities abroad. Lastly, TMSMHC) will also raise money to purchase computers and modern day books from local libraries to send to the schools abroad as well.
“Global Health Africa” is a program that is designed to bring year-round collaboration of many local organizations, hospitals, and communities to come together with their resources to send funding, medical supplies, and volunteers to help eradicate some of the public health concerns in Nimba County, West Africa. (TMSMHC) will partner with various organizations and experts to come together quarterly to meet and strategize on ways to effectively help sustain year-around supports of the region. The program is setup to produce the following:
A. Provide Clean Water and Food—through this program, (TMSMHC) will help provide wells for clean drinking water and teach local villagers to reserve food during the harvest season to prevent hunger in drought seasons which is the rainy season from July to October.
B. Medical Supplies – through this program, (TMSMHC) will collaborate with hospitals, agencies that provide medical equipment to foreign countries and local philanthropists to send medical supplies, as well as common medicines to help aid the (TMSMHC) hospital in their fight against diseases.
C. Medical Expert Volunteers—through this program, (TMSMHC) will collaborate with various colleges, hospitals, medical centers, research facilities and volunteers to garner supports to send several eager and passionate medical professional volunteers, to Nimba to help treat and aid the community to fight against public health concerns that exist there.
The (TMSMHC) “Heal Africa” Workshop is a workshop designed to teach elementary schools, high schools, colleges, universities and religious institutions and others about the plight of many African countries as it relates to lack of food access and public health care issues. Through video, dance presentations, art, and classroom instruction, children, youth and adults will get to learn about the people who live in these various parts of the world and the drastic conditions they must suffer through. The purpose of these workshops is to educate the adults, youth and children on the public health issues that exist outside our country and to show them how grateful we are. Through these workshops individuals will also learn how they can support and make a difference in Nimba specifically.