Despite Coronavirus not yet having reached Madagascar, the outbreak has had an impact on us here in a number of ways which we would like to share with you. 

All international flights to and from Madagascar have been suspended for 30 days.  As with all the recent travel restrictions, what happens at the end of those 30 days remains unknown.

The travel restrictions have had a significant impact on those who had been planning to come to Mandritsara in the coming weeks and months.  This includes surgeons and doctors coming to support the medical team or allow long-termers to take breaks, as well as those hoping to do electives or other short term visitors. It is unclear whether those planned to come later in the year might be able to come. 

This leaves the already stretched medical team short-staffed for  much longer. In addition, visitors and short-termers provide much appreciated energy and encouragement for the whole team here, and so the prospect of no-one coming for an extended period is hard.

Please pray that God would sustain each one of us through the weeks and months ahead.

We are very aware that the measures put in place so far has taken may not stop Coronavirus coming to Madagascar but we pray that at least they will provide time for preparations to be made. Access to healthcare is limited for most of the population here – World Bank statistics suggest Madagascar has 2 hospital beds and fewer than 2 doctors per 10 000 people (compared with 28 hospital beds and 28 doctors for the same number in the UK).  Many hospitals here do not have oxygen, let alone ventilators. However, with much smaller numbers of cases reported in Sub-Saharan Africa, what the impact of the virus will be in this region remains unknown.

So we are currently planning how we as a hospital might respond to an outbreak here. 

Please pray that we might do this wisely and pray also for good communication amongst the staff here.  As is the case everywhere, fear and rumour are widespread.  We want our plans to be based on the facts as we can best ascertain them and made in faith in our good God.

Updated: 19 March 2020