We are off! Data collection started this week and already, our data is rolling in thru Epi Surveyor. I love this feeling – finally deploying and using the tools we have worked so hard to perfect. If I feel this euphoric about just starting data collection, I can’t imagine how excited I’ll feel when we begin to analyze the data and make recommendations to the government of Kenya. Even more so, I can’t wait to see how this assessment will pave the way for improvements in strengthening Kenya’s health worker training and improving health outcomes for this wonderful population. You may think I am getting ahead of myself but if we don’t have our eye on the goals of our work, it is easy to get lost in the details. I am such a detail-oriented person; one thing I wanted to experience from this summer work in Kenya was to do technical work, focusing on that bigger picture. I’m experiencing it!
I have achieved a few notable things this week including learning how to set up views in Epi Info. This is a computer program that helps to analyze data. Before you can analyze it, you have to set up the files toread the data you enter into the system. This is done by coding your data sets, which is the skill I learned this week. The codes can be a little complex but I love seeing how all of the questions are linking and weaving together. We hope to have our tools completely set up in Epi Info by early next week so that data entrants can start inputting responses from our tools. I can’t believe how fast this process is moving along!
Apart from learning this nifty computer program, I got out into the field this week to support one of our teams with data collection. I visited KMTC Muranga and Muranga Hospital in Central Kenya. KMTC stands for Kenya Medical Training College. The sites were an hour-and-a-half outside of Nairobi. The drive to Muranga was beautiful and I was awed by the rolling hills of the Kenyan countryside. Once we (Cathy and I) arrived at the institution, we met up with the data collection team. They were still navigating thru the various district health officers for the go ahead to get started collecting the data. You cannot simply show up at a school and hand out questionnaires and conduct interviews. It is so important that the national and local government support your efforts and usher you thru the institutions. This also enforces the importance of collecting the data. In addition to the local government officials, we also met with the principal of the school and various directors of the hospital. Everyone was very nice and it was eye opening to go thru this “official” process of beginning data collection at Muranga.
Apart from these formalities, we had to plan for our interviews with community health workers and various community members. Many times in rural areas, community health workers deliver basic health care services to the community. Though they have limited training, they are trusted members of the community and an important aspect of healthcare delivery in developing countries. I support this cadre as they most often service populations who are unable to travel to formal healthcare facilities. And as you know by now, rural healthcare facilities are the ones facing the most severe health workforce shortages.
KMTC Muranga was buzzing students studying for finals. It was like Kenya Harry Potter – the students were dressed in uniforms but it was cold and many had scarves to keep them warm. I visited some of the classrooms and most were packed full of eager learners. This facility was obviously beyond capacity because one “classroom” was a tent. There were a dozen or so desks and some benches situated on top of a dirt floor. A flip chart stood in for the instructor board. Glancing thru some of the early responses, I was not surprised that students felt that the facilities were not up to par at this site.
I want to share with you my favorite thing about Muranga. “Huduma Bora Ni Haki Yako”, which means “You have the right to be served”. This was posted all over the site and I loved being reminded that access to healthcare and treatment are a basic human right. So many people are sticking their necks out to ensure this right is respected in Kenya, including our team of data collectors for the PNA (enjoy the picture those of you who are asking I post more photos). I applaud these colleagues who are doing such a great job supporting IntraHealth’s work in Kenya with the PNA. A santé sana!
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