Moto-ambulances save lives!

The distances between the villages and the health centers in the Ouaddaï region are usually long and arduous. There are no paved roads or public buses and only one ambulance in the Abougoudam health district, where Women's Hope operates. At times, the rainy season complicates the journey even.

"There is a risk that women will lose their unborn child on the way to the health center or die themselves," says Juste Bationon, the program coordinator of Women's Hope in Chad.

If the women make it to the nearest medical facility on their own, the lack of transportation becomes a problem here at the latest: when the women need more complex medical support, often the only option is to find overpriced private or commercial cars to take them to the regional hospital in Abéché.

Together with the local communities, our local partner, the Bureau d'Appui de Santé et Environnement (BASE), therefore set out to find a solution. The goal: to find a transport option that would provide help quickly and efficiently on any surface. The idea of an ambulance on three wheels was born. Its advantage: a moto-ambulance is light and can therefore cross rivers even in the rainy season with the help of wooden boards. In order to anchor the solution as firmly as possible in the communities, we actively involved them in its implementation. Representatives from the various health centers worked with the communities to establish rules of use for their catchment areas. "The rules defined legitimate reasons for use, the remuneration of the drivers and the contributions to be paid by the communities as well as private individuals," says Juste Bationon. Thanks to the close cooperation, the communities identify with the new vehicle. They do minor repairs themselves and take care of the "barbaras," as they call the moto-ambulances.

Thanks to their light weight, moto-ambulances can cross rivers with the help of wooden planks. In this way, they enable pregnant women to access healthcare even during the rainy season.

Today, the moto-ambulances – eleven of which are now on the road in the health district –have become indispensable to the communities. In addition to transporting pregnant women, they are used by health workers to travel to remote villages. "In this way, we can inform women about the importance of preventive examinations during pregnancy or enable the population to get vaccinated," says Juste Bationon. If transportation is no longer possible for a person for health reasons, the Barbaras bring medical help directly to the bedside on an exceptional basis. In 2022, the moto-ambulances were in operation 470 times. They enabled 94 women to have a midwife-assisted delivery at a health center. They also transported 21 emergency patients to the university hospital in Abéché. The local program coordinator is very positive: "The moto-ambulances have already saved countless women's lives." Moreover, says Juste Bationon, Women's Hope and BASE have really developed a solution here that is rooted at the community level. Two communities have already asked for another Barbara.

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Cover picture: Motoambulance (Barbara) in Awguine; Photographer: Juste Bationon