When we began our partnership with Hospital Villa Fundacion, we set out to help this community hospital become a center of excellence for maternal, newborn and child health. We never thought that we’d get this far in such a short period of time!

As of today, there have been nine deliveries at Hospital Villa Fundacion. This is a significant increase from the number of births that they attended last year and a testament of the demand for the type of services the Hospital is now offering. Women are treated with dignity and respect. They are informed of their choices and empowered to play a decision-making role in their healthcare. Their providers are trained in life-saving skills and in how to offer client-centered services. Women are giving birth in the labor beds in the seated position without episiotomies or unnecessary medical intervention and nursing their newborns immediately, accompanied by family members.  This is a radical departure from previous standards of care and the care in other hospitals in the DR.

The community has confidence again in their local hospital and their positive feedback has been both overwhelming and incredibly motivating.  One of the women who delivered in September was so grateful for the wonderful care she received during her birth, she brought the attending nurse a present (a fresh fish her husband caught)!

We hope to continue to have many positive birth stories to share with you through our efforts to improve maternal, newborn and child health. For now, we’ll leave you with some images of this past month.

Hospital Villa Fundacion - September 2009

Tags: Dominican Republic, World Connect Grants