Donated ultrasound unit saving lives

When a team from Adventist Health volunteered with AMS three years ago, they wondered what more they could do to help. They decided an ultrasound machine was something the clinic could use.

The machine arrived in October 2019 and has been put to use ever since. Staff can now confirm and date a pregnancy, check for problems and confirm if a mom is carrying twins or triplets.

Mothers have started coming to the clinic specifically for an ultrasound, sometimes at the recommendation of another clinic that suspects a problem.

While some mothers may arrive concerned about their pregnancies, many leave feeling confident about their baby’s well being. Normal pains can cause anxiety; actually seeing the baby’s heart beat and seeing it move around puts a mother at ease.

Ultrasounds give the staff confidence as well. An ultrasound once confirmed a breech baby in a woman who visited the clinic. Performing an external procedure to flip the baby head down created a much safer delivery situation.

In the case of multiple births, the machine has also been a life saver. One woman came in thinking she was in labor and the staff thought her belly looked larger than normal. An ultra sounded confirmed a very rare condition- twins that were laying sideways. Staff referred the mom to an OB-GYN doctor to schedule a cesarean section. If not for the ultrasound, they would have been left wondering why the babies weren’t coming during the delivery .

The gift from Adventist Health continues to be life changing and a life saver for the Maasai community.