Health: the post stays open at night
In a health post with no electricity, consultations stop at nightfall. A night delivery is done by torchlight. The midwife holds the torch between her teeth while she works. That is what the group found in 2019, at the first health post it equipped in Senegal.
What was done
| Year | Deployment |
|---|---|
| 2019 | 10 health posts without electricity equipped with a TUMIQUI Smart Kit, under the memorandum of understanding with the Ministry of Health and Social Action |
| 2026 | 3 health posts in Casamance equipped with a Smart Kit, a Seiko Epson printer and a television, under the JICA Biz programme of JICA |
In the health posts the group has electrified, more than 600 deliveries have taken place with electricity.
What changes with electricity
| Before | After |
|---|---|
| Consultations limited to daylight hours | Night consultations and deliveries |
| No electrical equipment | Ultrasound scanner, centrifuge, a PC for patient records |
| Photocopies in town, sometimes by boat | Printing in the consultation room |
| Closing for a day to deliver the monthly report | Report sent from the post through the router |
| Staff phones out of charge | Charging at the post, for staff and patients |
A health post manager said: “We can work at night now.”
Why a portable kit
The Smart Kit is stored in a locked room in the evening. There is no panel fixed on the roof, so no panel theft. It is installed on the day of delivery, with no building work. For an isolated health post, this is what matters: the electricity arrives at once and stays.
The kit is maintained from Senegal. TUMIQUI JAPON SASU technicians respond to breakdowns, and the parts are in Senegal.
What is under way
At the three Casamance posts, the pairing of the Smart Kit with a printer is being tested. The television in the waiting area shows health awareness videos. Observed results will be published on this page.
See the Casamance health posts caseDiscuss a project in health posts