“FAME Is Home Away From Home”
Mary smiles as she is being discharged from FAME’s inpatient ward.
In rural Tanzania, families play a significant role in caring for their loved ones when they are sick. This role can be demanding and require substantial time, energy and resources. Families take on additional responsibilities in many hospital settings, such as providing basic care and supplies to their sick family members. This can be emotionally and financially challenging.
At FAME, we provide all patients admitted to the hospital with food assistance, which reduces the financial burden on families and ensures that patients have access to nutritious meals, which can improve their health outcomes.
This was especially useful this week when we had a patient from Tanga, a region in northeastern Tanzania 375 miles from FAME. She was admitted to the inpatient ward and was worried that she did not have family nearby to bring her food. This is her story.
Mary* is a 57-year-old maize farmer who had traveled from Tanga to Karatu just before Christmas to visit her 79-year-old mother, who was sickly and lived alone.
“Almost immediately after I arrived, I could feel I was not well. I had headaches, extreme fatigue and sometimes shortness of breath. I didn’t feel like myself at all. I visited a local clinic that diagnosed me with typhoid and gave me some medicine, but this did not work. My condition continued to worsen. I started becoming dizzy and feeling faint all the time. I had come to Karatu to help my sickly mother, but now she was taking care of me. She suggested I come to FAME, a hospital she had been to many times with good outcomes. However, she was too weak to bring me, so with the little money I had, I called a taxi that brought me to FAME.”
Once at FAME, Mary had blood and urine tests done. She was diagnosed with iron deficiency anemia. Anemia is a common health problem in Tanzania, particularly among women and children. The leading causes are an iron-deficient diet and malaria (WHO). At FAME, we saw 390 cases of anemia in 2021 and 318 cases in 2022. The Tanzanian government has implemented programs to address anemia in Tanzania, including distributing iron supplements, promoting malaria prevention and treatment and providing nutrition education.
In Mary’s case, the anemia was caused by repeated malaria infections. Some of the most common symptoms of anemia are fatigue and weakness. Long-term anemia can lead to cardiac problems such as heart failure and high blood pressure; in severe cases, anemia can lead to death. Mary’s condition required prompt treatment and was admitted to FAME’s inpatient ward.
“Tanga, where I live, is known to have a high incidence of malaria because its tropical climate is conducive to transmitting the malaria-causing parasite. I have had malaria several times; I didn’t know it could cause other problems like this.””
Mary had to call her mother and let her know that she would be admitted at FAME for a couple of days and would not be going back home right away.
Pendo, delivering food to patients at FAME’s inpatient ward.
“She was very concerned about me, not only because I was much sicker than we had thought, but because she was not strong enough to cook and bring food to me at FAME every day. The hospitals we have been to in the past don’t always provide regular meals for patients, so it’s up to the patient’s family to provide food for them while they are in the hospital.”
Providing food for patients is important, as proper nutrition is essential for a patient's recovery and can significantly impact patient outcomes and overall health. At FAME, patients are provided with breakfast, lunch and dinner, as well as 10 am and 4 pm snacks such as porridge and fruits. Hospitals in underserved areas, such as where we work, may not always have the resources to provide regular meals for patients. Additionally, patients from these areas are more likely to experience poverty and food insecurity, making it challenging for families to bring food to the hospital regularly.
“It was a huge relief to learn that FAME would provide all meals for me. With my family so far away and my mother unable to do much, I was worried about how I would survive my hospital stay without my family’s support. However, it turned out that I didn’t need any additional support! FAME became my family and helped me in everything. FAME is home away from home! Being here, I have noticed that patients who do not have families visit them do not lack anything, as the food is provided and the nursing staff provides attentive care. Asante Sana [Thank You] FAME!”
After three days, Mary was discharged to go home. She was given iron supplements to increase the iron in her body and a diet plan to increase iron intake by adding foods such as meat, beans and leafy vegetables to her diet. She was also advised to take preventative measures against malaria, including using bed nets treated with insecticide.
“I feel better and excited to return to my maize farm in Tanga. What was supposed to be a short visit to Karatu turned out to be a month-long adventure! Thank you, FAME, for everything.”
Editors note: FAME is familiar with patients from faraway places; just last year, we had a patient come from Zanzibar! You can read that story here.
*While the patient’s name has been changed to protect privacy, permission was secured to share his photos and story with FAME supporters and to raise awareness of available medical care at FAME Medical.