TANZANIAN DR. FATMA SULEIMAN SHOWING THE WAY TOWARDS WOMEN'S EMANCIPATION

By The guardian reporter

10th February 2015

Dr Fatma Suleiman with her co-workers at Temeke Regional Hospital whose duties include also building capacity for the hospital�s health workers.

When Fatma Muslim Sulleiman accompanied her grandmother to the hospital when she was young, she always  wanted to know why her grandmother  was  being treated by men only and not a fellow women. 

She asked her grandmother’s doctor about his medical specialty and he replied that he was a women’s specialist. 

At that point Fatma thought there was a need for more women to practice medicine in the field of women’s health. 

She  thought I could do this job’”.

Dr Fatma Muslim Suleiman was born and raised in Arusha, Tanzania. She is a specialist in the field of Obstetrics and Gynaecology working with the Comprehensive Community Based Rehabilitation in Tanzania (CCBRT) since July 2013.

As an Obstetrics and Gynaecology specialist, her main desire was to bring impact on the health of women and newborns (particularly the poor, disempowered and marginalised) in Dar es Salaam and to reduce maternal mortality.

Throughout her services she has been training and mentoring medical teams at 22 public health facilities in Dar es Salaam. Her efforts are part of a wider programme designed to improve the quality of maternal and newborn healthcare services in the region. 

Following Dr Fatma’s impact on the health of women and newborns, CCBRT has nominated her as a candidate for the ‘Tanzania Women of Achievement Awards 2014’.

Sharing the dream 

Dr Fatma’s desire to pursue a career as an Obstetrics and Gynaecology specialist was shaped at a young age. “I accompanied my grandmother to the hospital and she complained that she was only being treated by men. I asked her doctor about his medical specialty and he replied that he was a women’s specialist. At that point I thought there is a need for more women practicing medicine in the field of women’s health. I thought I could do this job’”.

Dr Fatma was introduced to CCBRT by one of her lecturers at Muhimbili National Hospital, Dr Brenda D’Mello, now the manager of CCBRT’s Capacity Building Programme in maternal and newborn healthcare.

Dr Fatma believed that she and Dr Brenda were “sharing the same dream to reduce maternal mortality” and her best opportunity to accomplish this was to work alongside her mentor at CCBRT.

Changing the status quo 

After being assigned to work with Temeke Regional Hospital, Dr Fatma started her work of building capacity within the hospital workers. Temeke had a high maternal mortality rate, but she jumped right in, and filled all the human resource gaps throughout the hospital. 

At first, Dr Fatma felt constrained in work because the hospital was lacking critical infrastructure, there were not enough staff for the number of patients and the healthcare providers were lacking essential skills to perform their duties.

She however, was always open to guidance from her own mentor during times of frustration. This helped her gain perspective in difficult situations as well as develops her problem solving skills.

On a daily basis, Dr Fatma works tirelessly to not only implement CCBRT’s Capacity Building programme’s activities but also strives to set an example and inspire her colleagues based at Temeke Hospital. 

With the belief that she could help to develop the individual skill sets of OB/GYN specialists in Dar es Salaam, Dr Fatma has also taken on her own mentees. In doing this, she hopes to transfer as much of her extensive knowledge in this field as possible so that, in the long term, her mentees will be able to continue offering high quality health services without her direct involvement.

Working tirelessly

Dr Fatma has learned to focus on her potential to create long-term change rather than produce immediate results. “At first, I used to get disappointed when I didn’t get the results I wanted immediately, but then I realised that one person you save means something. I taught myself not to look at output, but look at the bigger picture of change. Change doesn’t happen in one or two days, it happens over time. Change is a continuous process.”

Dr Fatma may not always measure her success in numbers, but she does have a very exceptional number to be proud of: zero. In September 2014, there were zero maternal deaths at Temeke Hospital: for the first time in CCBRT’s collective memory. In a region where far too many mothers lose their lives in childbirth, this news was remarkable, and Dr Fatma -alongside all the colleagues working tirelessly in the facility- has contributed to this.

What makes this kind of work so rewarding for Dr Fatma is the fact that when a woman comes in crying and screaming, she can at the end of the day give that mother a baby. 

“…when the mother smiles, and the baby smiles, that makes me smile,” said Dr Fatma.

Dr Fatma’s contribution towards strengthening and improvement of maternal and newborn healthcare services at Temeke Hospital and Dar es salaam Region as a whole have been remarkable for the relatively short period of time she has been with CCBRT.

Testimonials

Dr Brenda Sequeira D’Mello, MD, MMEd (OBGYN), Technical Advisor, CCBRT said that what makes her so special is her deep caring attitude and the choice she has made to serve the women of Tanzania. 

At her own cost she attained her specialisation in Obstetrics in South Africa and chose to work in Tanzania where she believes her services are most needed.

During her year of work at Temeke Hospital, she has helped to reduce maternal mortality in the facility from 267 per 100,000 live births to 230 per 100,000 live births.

It is a testimony that even one person can make a difference.

Khadija Mayumba, Registered Nurse, Temeke Municipal Hospital said that Dr Fatma has positively influenced and changed the attitudes of healthcare providers at Temeke hospital.

She has also instilled a strong sense of pride in achieving and maintaining the highest of healthcare standards.

“The knowledge and skills she has brought to the team is what makes her special, moreover she is a very strong woman who is not fazed or daunted by any challenges she faces on a daily basis. This attitude has positively emboldened and encouraged other women,” said Mayumba.

Anastasia Melis, Director Human Resources Department, CCBRT said that Dr Fatma is an excellent example of Tanzanian women’s empowerment; a young Tanzanian woman who believes in her own capacities and recognises that change can only start from within oneself.

SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN