THE MUSLIM MOTHER TERESA - a podcast by ALC Pan-African Radio

In May 1991 Somaliland a country that is located in the North eastern part of Somalia seceded as a self-declared state from Somalia. However, it is yet to gain international recognition from the United Nations. Somaliland faced civil war under the Somali president Siad Barre whose aim was to unite the greater Somalia. During the war, 95 % of the infrastructure and institutions were destroyed. Many people who had previously worked as doctors were killed while the few remaining ones either emigrated to western countries or were displaced.
Edna Adan Ismail, former first lady and a former senior diplomat who had worked for the World Health Organisation for 32 years and studied in London South Bank University, embarked on a journey in 1993 to construct the first maternity hospital in the capital city Hargeisa, Somaliland. Maternal and infant deaths had been a major health concern to the government of Somaliland but there was no single maternity center. According to UNICEF, at the time, close to 60 percent of women gave birth at home in Somaliland with the help of traditional midwives. As a result, child mortality was very high as every 7th child perished before their fifth birthday. Women’s healthcare was also affected by the drought, lack of food, lack of safe drinking water and scarcity of proper sanitary services and general health services.
To begin with, Edna started constructing a hospital which was completed in 2002. Construction work took long – four years- because of the lack of human labor and skills. Incredibly, the first baby was born within 10 hours of the hospital’s opening. Today, the hospital has been successful in facilitating the delivery of more than 12000 babies.
However, having a fully equipped medical hospital required medical personnel. As such, the next step for Edna Adan Ismael was to have a training centre where she could train young women who could run the hospital. The hospital became an academic medical centre where skills, knowledge and competency for nurses and midwives were taught. She trained more than 1000 nurses and midwives. Her students knew what they were doing as far as patient care was concerned. They cared with compassion and treated while upholding the dignity for patients. Her greatest passion was to multiply the number of doctors, nurses and midwives. As a result, her efforts produced practitioners capable of giving back to societies across Somaliland.
Most women who visited the hospital were referred because of pregnancy-related complications. However, the hospital also assisted members of the society who had other medical conditions. The site that was once a garbage dump had been transformed into a successful hospital that could perform procedures on highly complex cases affecting children.
Somaliland still has the highest maternal mortality rate in the world but among the 12000 babies delivered successfully, the hospital had been able to reduce the maternal mortality to a quarter of the national average. The achievement was brought about by the emergency preparedness that the hospital takes pride in having doctors and nurses who are on stand by to treat any emergencies.

Successful leadership requires tireless work to meet the needs of the society during a crisis. Edna and her society emerged in a crisis situation to bring her expertise forward to improve reproductive health in her community and reduce infant and maternal mortality.
Edna set an inspiring example by choosing to use her pension to establish a hospital and make a difference in the society, that is a challenge to us all to play our roles in changing society. Edna Ismael is a leaving proof that says where there is a will there is a way.

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