Free medical care for ASE students and staff
For almost a year, The African School of Economics campus has been equipped with a health clinic for the wellbeing of students and staff. The nurse in charge of the clinic, Assogba Zannou Gilbert, holds consultations on all business days and treats members of the ASE community free of charge.
The clinic received 65 patients in 2019 according to Nurse Gilbert, a figure that testifies to the need for a clinic. When patients arrive, the clinic first holds a consultation with them to diagnose their health issues, then proposes an adequate treatment. “All patient care provided here is free. This measure also extends to the medications available in our pharmacy” the nurse explained during a meeting in his office. The most frequent cases seen in clinic consultations are for malaria, the flu, and migraines. Gilbert says that because ASE is such a dynamic community, he is very at ease in his work and that the staff and students are a source of motivation for him.
Nurse Gilbert’s Background:
Having originally graduated from the Beninese National School of Nursing and Nursing Assistants (In French: Ecole Nationale de Infirmiers et Infirmières Adjoint du Bénin, abbreviated ENIIAB), Assogba Zannou Gilbert has been in charge of the ASE health clinic since April, 2019. Before joining ASE, he had a dearth of healthcare experience both nationally and internationally. From 1987 to 1989, he worked for the Dominican sisterhood in Lokossa (les sœurs dominicaines). Towards the end of the year 1989, the nurse joined the “Maison Blanche” Applied Medico-Psychosocial Research Center in Minontin. During this period, Gilbert underwent an on-the-job training initiated by the Catholic University of Louvain on interventions to prevent drug addiction. Always looking to increase his skills, he also participated in a training in the diagnosis and treatment of mental illness organized by the Mercy Ships organization. In 2000, he also interned for three months in Paris.
Coronavirus Prevention:
To protect the ASE community from the coronavirus pandemic that has been spreading across the world for some time, Nurse Gilbert has shared some advice. He advises all ASE community members to wash their hands with soap and water or to use a hydro-alcoholic solution, and to cover the nose and mouth with a single-use face mask, especially when traveling. Gilbert also invites community members to report any cases of high fevers to the relevant authorities.
