“A hospital with a machine that can see inside the head."
A happy David poses for a picture on his hospital bed.
Peter (left) poses with David.
“Thank you, FAME, for being good to us. When we got here, we were all confused. We had an injured person and were also in very unfamiliar surroundings. But we were received and treated well.”
In Northern Tanzania, where FAME is located, boda bodas (motorcycle taxis) provide an affordable transportation option and an important employment opportunity for people in our catchment area.
While boda boda drivers have ways to improve safety, they are inherently a dangerous form of transportation as they are vulnerable and exposed to traffic risks. Adherence to safety habits remains low with limited safety equipment use.
David*, age 32, has been in FAME’s inpatient ward for the last three days. He does not remember how he got to FAME. All he remembers is hiring a boda boda to take him 20 minutes away to see his friend.
“I was bored at home with nothing to do, so I called one of our neighbors who owned a boda boda to take me to visit my friend. On the way, we were laughing and talking, and that’s the last thing I remember.”
David’s brother-in-law, Peter, tells the rest of the story.
“I had gone home for my lunch break from work when someone came to the homestead at around 1 pm to say that he had heard the terrible news. David and one of our neighbors had been in a boda boda accident. He said some men had told him that the driver was okay, but David was badly injured.”
Peter called two male relatives and they rushed to the accident site together.
“Everyone at home was screaming, fainting and crying hysterically. Many would not be able to accompany me in such a state, so I asked two of my brothers who seem more clear-headed to come with me.” -Peter.
Once at the site, things were not looking good. The driver only had minor scratches, but David was unconscious and bleeding. He had not been wearing a helmet, so they feared his head had borne the brunt of the fall. Some of the onlookers who gathered around the accident suggested they take him to a nearby clinic, but one of them said:
“I know a hospital with a machine that can see inside the head.”
The hospital they were talking about was FAME, and the machine was a CT scan.
In 2016, FAME acquired a CT Scan machine, generously donated by GE Africa. FAME’s CT scan machine is the only one within a 75-mile radius. In 2021, FAME performed 326 CT scans.
Since Peter’s main concern was the damage to David’s head and brain, he asked for directions to FAME, and together with his two relatives, they brought him here in a taxi.
“I was scared. Everything was happening so fast! And now we were in a hospital I had never been to before. Praying that they can heal him.”
The CT scan showed no acute traumatic brain injury. His chest exam also showed that everything was ok internally. David was only suffering from some severe cuts and bruises.
“I am happy with the service at FAME. They have looked after me well, and I’m ready to go home now.”
*While the patient’s name has been changed to protect privacy, permission was secured to share her photos and story with FAME supporters, and to raise awareness of available medical care at FAME Medical.