Soddo Christian Hospital, Soddo Wolaitta, Ethiopia

 

^{Soddo Christian Hospital - www.soddo.org}

 

Residents and Faculty

 

Dr. Duane Anderson -Interim Program Director

Mission: Sponsored by the St. Luke’s Healthcare Foundation.

 

Profile: Soddo Christian Hospital has been open since January 2005. It replaced a SIM mission hospital that was taken over by the Ethiopian government in 1974. It is licensed for 199 beds and has 120 presently. There are five wards- two surgical, one maternity, one medicine and pediatrics and one orthopedic. Two additional wards are planned for later. Mossy Foot, a form of elephantiasis, pregnancy complications including fistulas, tumor and cancers, trauma, malaria, TB, and deformities of various kinds are frequent diagnosis. HIV is not a common problem yet in this rural area of Southern Ethiopia.

 

Time Difference: +7 hours daylight saving time, +8 hours Eastern Standard Time. USA

 

Travel: Commercial airlines to Addis Ababa, drive about 7 hours to Soddo. Ethiopian Air, Lufthansa and Northwest Airlines are available.

 

Location: Soddo is 400 Kilometers south of Addis Ababa in a mountainous region with beautiful weather at 7,400 feet elevation. Soddo, the town, is in the middle of the Wolaitta people of 2.5 million in the Southern Nations – Nationalities and People Regional State (SNNPRS) with approximately 12 million people.

Language: English is spoken by the educated hospital staff, Amharic, is the official language of Ethiopia and is spoken by many. 

 

Dr. Ashenafi Getachew

Climate: The climate at Soddo Christian Hospital ranges from 60 – 65 F at night with warm to hot temperatures in the day ranging from 80 - 90 F. However, the humidity is generally low. The rainy season lasts from May to October, however, a shorter rainy season is January to March. A 10,000-foot mountain is nearby and a Rift Valley Lake can be viewed from this site.

 

Religion: Animism and Orthodox Christianity are the primary religions. SIM evangelical Christians now have over 950 churches and over 120 evangelists in other areas of Ethiopia. Muslims have targeted Ethiopia and this area specifically.

 

Housing: Accommodations are in a guesthouse or duplex depending on the number of guests. The homes and guesthouse are completely furnished and have electricity, running water, water filters, refrigerators, gas and electric burners, electric ovens, microwave. There is domestic help who can prepare meals and do cleaning. Most foods can be purchased in the city of Soddo. Butter, meat, and processed foods should be purchased in Addis Ababa before arriving at the hospital.

 

PAACS Program Faculty: Dr. Duane Anderson; Dr. Kelemu Desta; Dr. AshenafiGetachew
Beds: 120 (30 Surgical)
Operating Rooms: 4
Began Training Residents: January of 2005; Joined PAACS in February of 2006
Number of PAACS Residents September 1, 2007: Five 

 

"Today's Decisions - Tomorrow's Destiny"

Click on the link below to read an excerpt from the soon-to-be published "Today's Decisions - Tomorrow's Destiny," by Harold Adolph. This is an exciting story of faith and the development of the Soddo Christian Hospital, one of the latest of the PAACS training sites.

Excerpt: "Today's Decisions - Tomorrow's Destiny" by Harold Adolph (PDF)