1. Gambela Medical School
Site Visit
January, 2018

9. Gambela Medical School: Background
2014 conversation with Gatbel Chamjock
Site visit 2015 by fourteen
Meetings with senate
Letters of support from 2016
2017 Minneapolis meeting
2017 AAFP Global Health Workshop presentation
Connection with U.S. based university partner

11. Gambela Medical School: Regional Need
Ethiopian border state with South Sudan
Physician to population ratio 1:100,000 (2012)
2 million persons displaced, South Sudan
Access to primary care and specialty services is challenging
Doctors don’t stay in Ethiopia

12. Gambela Medical School: Local Needs
Revolving door of new physicians paying back service time
Considered a hardship area
Culturally different people groups
400,000 refugees
500,000 Ethiopian population

13. Gambela Medical School: Local Resources
Resource assessment performed January 2018
Regional referral hospital with adequate clinical experiences
Gambela University with dramatic growth and new campus
Growing economy and population
23 NGO’s working on relief and development in Gambela

22. Gambela Medical School: Support
National support from Minister of Foreign Affairs
Regional support from Ministers of Health, Education
Broad support from university leadership
Mayor support from Gambela
Hospital leadership support

25. Gambela Medical School: Local Challenges
Too few qualified instructors
Nationally, medical schools are overcrowded
Medical school admission process does not favor local students
Inadequate finances from university to provide for medical education
Hospital lacks basic services and adequate room

33. Gambela Medical School: Partners
Gambela University
Gambela Hospital
Ethiopian Ministry of Health and Ministry of Education
Wayne State University
Ethiopian Diaspora

34. Gambela Medical School: Vision
To become a center of excellence in physician training
To meet the increasing needs for physician services in the Gambela region
to address local and regional health disparities and improve outcomes
To train physicians to be healers and not merely technicians
To be a force for peace in the region

35. Gambela Medical School: Visit Summary
Support for this project is broad
Need for 11th and 12th grade education enhancement
Need for recruitment and retention of locally trained physicians
Need for improvement in healthcare delivery and services
Need for development of relationships with outside partners
Need to strengthen relationship university with hospital

36. Gambela Medical School: Visit Summary
New university campus to be completed March 2018
Land has been set aside for new health sciences campus 2 km by 2 km
Regional improvement in health delivery and outcomes is possible
Creation of a regional center of excellence

37. Gambela Medical School: Next Steps
MOU to be negotiated and signed between Wayne State and Gambela Universities
Gambela University presents the plan to regional senate and university board for approval
Gambela University requests federal government for twenty medical students May 2018
Needs request for hospital and proposed clinic and teaching center to be developed by Gatbel, Barry
Diaspora to approve use of 501c3 for donations of cash and equipment

38. Gambela Medical School: Next Steps
Diaspora requested to develop a scholarship fund for qualifying students from South Sudan
Donors for other components of the project to be sought by U.S. team
Curriculum for medical school to be reviewed by U.S. team to direct support needs
Request educational support for Gambela area 11th and 12th grade students to improve medical school acceptance rates

39. Gambela Medical School: Final Word
We want to train excellent physicians but not for export
We want to build buildings but not to put our names there
We want to create a place for U.S. based learners but not for ourselves
It is the patient who is suffering who is our concern
Gambela University’s motto: “We are with the community”