Revitalizing Agou Nyogbo’s Bethesda Hospital

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Extract from the article: Agou Nyogbo’s Bethesda Hospital is currently marked by deep organizational rigidities. This thanks to the multifaceted support of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Togo (EEPT/ Togo) and Christian Solidarity: support in medicines, management soft

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Agou Nyogbo’s Bethesda Hospital is currently marked by deep organizational rigidities. This thanks to the multifaceted support of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Togo (EEPT/ Togo) and Christian Solidarity: support in medicines, management software for monitoring, preparation of the reception of the digitized radiology equipment and evaluation of human resources training. Indeed, the priority is to give back to the services their role of «collective» in the organization of the care and the management of the nursing teams. This means promoting collective recognition through the creation of an incentive scheme linked to the improvement of the quality of service, and enhanced support for health professionals in management situations.

While many reports have noted malfunctions of the Bethesda Hospital in Agou Nyogbo, for several years, the Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Togo (EEPT/Togo), the technical and financial partners have understood the need to revitalize the hospital. 

To this end, the EEPT/Togo is in solidarity with the population thanks to its social program to accompany and support disadvantaged and vulnerable populations. His action towards Bethesda Hospital is significant. Thus she wants to take more ownership of the confessional medical work and make it one of their priorities. This pilot health facility is a partner of Christian Solidarity. The objective is the networking of confessional health facilities, as well as integration into a quality approach, in order to strengthen the visibility of the work in its role of social diaconia.

« The revitalization of the Bethesda Hospital requires several actions such as the improvement of services including better reception and more rewarding treatment, the offer of quality services and of course the strengthening of the technical platform. The reinforced technical platform will: ensure quality assurance for care, increase customer satisfaction and confidence, give greater visibility to the mission of the EEPT in the nation, and above all to respond to the Lord’s exhortation for the accomplishment of good works », stresses Dr Opportune Djoffon-Elitsa, Head of Health Division of the EEPT.

A new vision to support the Agou-Nyogbo Besthesda Hospital

Since the operationalization of its scanner of the hospital Monday, November 20, Bethesda of Agou-Nyogbo finds its place of reference for the management of care. A place in politics or mission of solidarity towards the populations.

This mission of solidarity, says Pastor Kodzo Sueto Paulin Vouke-Woledzi, Director of Christian Solidarity, includes development projects, diakonia and chaplaincy services and health training including the Bethesda Hospital. Pastor Kodzo Sueto Paulin Vouke-Woledzi shows that the hospital is the reference structure for other health facilities where the right to health is guaranteed to the populations because the workers try as far as possible to observe the following values: ecumenism with respect for diversity, the gift of self in the image of Christ to save human lives, shared hope through spiritual guidance, the spirit of equity and solidarity, effectiveness and efficiency, integrity and accountability, the satisfaction of customers and their loved ones.

« To be more concrete, social assistance benefits for vulnerable people, from medical assistance to any person whose income is insufficient in relation to the cost of care required by his state, fairground missions, the Church demonstrates through the Béthesda Hospital in Agou Nyogbo its policy of solidarity with the people », the Director of Christian Solidarity said.

To better support the transformation policies of the Besthesda Hospital, we must think of a new vision. It is also necessary to revive the social dialogue.

Dr. Opportune Djoffon-Elitsa, Head of the Health Division at EEPT, explains that the new vision for Bethesda Hospital has four main pillars:  « give it back the influence it had when it was created in terms of comparative advantage over other health facilities in accordance with the PNDS and through a strengthened partnership with the Ministry of Health, make innovations by strengthening the technical platform with the use of advanced technology in the image of the scanner that has just been installed, develop the ability to do research-actions to improve the offer of quality care in many areas such as pediatrics and why not geriatrics one day. The success stories and research results will be made available to other EEPT health facilities and even shared with other health facilities in Togo.  Reaching more of the Togolese population with special attention to the vulnerable », she says.

For the Director of Christian Solidarity, the health policy for the benefit of the Togolese populations stems from the pastoral mission of the EEPT consisting in manifesting the presence of God through the realization of good works intended for the integral development of the human being. It is part of a logic of Christian solidarity.  It is part of the National Health Policy.

« With this in mind, it is based on the following guiding principles: efficiency: the use of effective interventions, universal health coverage adapted to our level to an effort to manage all patients, participation and community ownership with the Primary Health Care approach, results-based management and good governance that includes accountability, good management in the use of financial resources and also leadership, inclusive, participatory and negotiating complementarity: disease prevention is also important and complementary to health promotion and restoration, partnership: with the public, private, international NGOs, continuity and quality of care : it is about providing acceptable, integrated and continuous care; reducing costs through the use of quality Generic Essential Drugs; we insist on the quality of drugs whose costs are affordable », explains Pasteur Kodzo Sueto Paulin Vouke-Woledzi.

EEPT works hard to mobilize resources to maintain or improve equitable access to quality service care for populations, especially those who are poor and marginalized. It works to improve health coverage for these populations by acting on infrastructure (rehabilitation of existing structures, construction of new structures), acting on staff (training, recruitment of qualified personnel, optimal working conditions) and by acting on the equipment. At the same time, it acts upstream by emphasizing the prevention of diseases by creating correct frameworks of personal hygiene and life.

William O.