MEDEVAC Programme in Senegal
Senegal is a significant source country for migration to the EU. The average birth rate hovers around 5 children per woman and the population is growing quickly; it is estimated that the population of Senegal increases by more than half a million people every year. A considerable part of the population consists of young people aged under 30 years. There is no general health insurance in the country, an ill person must pay for their treatment, otherwise they will not receive treatment (and they must often travel to get help). Therefore, the whole family often puts together their money to pay for a treatment. Lack of medical devices and supplies in hospitals is also a big problem in Senegal.
MEDEVAC has been operating in Senegal since 2017 when the first reconnaissance trips were undertaken for the purpose of implementing future missions. In cooperation with the Embassy in Dakar, the hospital Centre Hospitalier El Hadji Amadou Sakhir Ndieguene in the city of Thiès was eventually chosen, which is the catchment and referral hospital for the Thiès region (the cities of Thiès, M´bour, Tivaouane, Khombole) and the Diourbel region. There are approximately 5 million people living in the catchment area of this hospital.
Medical teams come to Thiès twice a year – in spring and in autumn. Since 2021, we have also been organising educational stays of Senegalese healthcare professionals in the Czech Republic (training has been provided during medical missions, too, since the beginning). Medical care is provided to Senegalese from the poorest segments who cannot afford treatment; our physicians also address complicated injuries and diagnoses, which the local hospital is unable to treat. Some patients wait for their surgery for half a year or a year – until our experts return.
At present, activities are performed in Senegal in 4 specialised medical fields (medical missions – traumatology, gynaecology, ENT; training – anaesthesiology).