Knowledge helps to prevent suffering

In the maternity ward - where mothers and their babies are allowed to recover for 24 hours after giving birth - staff set up a few rows of chairs. They use the free space between the two rows of beds, prepare large posters right at the front – and the course starts at 2 pm. What are the benefits of breast milk? When does diarrhea in babies become dangerous? What influence does a healthy diet have?

Every seat is taken, many fathers are present, some women are lying in bed with their newborns and listening. These training sessions have been running for a long time; always at 2 pm, on every ward and in every one of our hospitals. Founder Beat Richner was already committed to this because he was convinced that with the right information, many things could be changed for the better.

The topics vary depending on the ward: where children are injured in road accidents, staff provide information about drunk driving, the obligation to wear a helmet and other dangers in road traffic. In neonatology, skin-to-skin contact with the little ones, immunisation and important blood donations by fathers are discussed. And elsewhere, the focus is on hygiene, recognising diseases such as tuberculosis and awareness of how to prevent infection.

‘The training courses are very important because basic knowledge is often lacking,’ explains Prof Yay Chantana, Hospital Director in Siem Reap. People in Cambodia have hardly ever dealt with health issues and have never been taught the basics. ‘So we take the opportunity to talk to the parents about specific problems and how to solve them.’

How do you correctly measure a temperature or treat a wound? When is my child's life in danger? And how do I act correctly? Thanks to the training courses, the staff at our paediatric hospitals reach hundreds of parents every day with their messages, information and experience. Knowledge provides security in difficult situations, ensures self-confidence and correct behaviour – and is therefore an important factor in strengthening parents and promoting children's health in the long term.