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2006 the idea to build an intensive care unit for paediatrics materialized, and the medical staff around our Lions friend Professor Dr. Christen of “Kinderkrankenhaus Auf der Bult Hannover” did the ground work of defining the unit structure. Due to capacity reasons the realization was soon transferred to MHH, i.e. into the hands of Prof. Dr. Armin Wessel (†), Head of Paediatrics, Cardiology, and Intensive Care, and his head of the PICU, Dr. Michael Sasse. Both found the idea attractive and worth to be supported, in particular since they expected a fast realization using their own internationally approved standards for paediatric intensive care – even in culturally very different settings. PD Dr. Kathrin Seidemann, yearlong member of “Doctors without Frontiers”, and deeply experienced in intercultural development projects was appointed to project management. At her side – the as well internationally experienced intensive care nurse Hannah Tönsfeuerborn, member of “International Paediatric Intensive Care Nurses”.

October 2007 – Kathrin and Hannah travelled toGalle. The first two beds had been installed meanwhile, and targeted training on the job was possible. Their audit results kept in an extensive trip report were basic for all further plans. So it was decided to let them work totally on their own for the next 6 months and then have two doctors and two nurses for further education and training inHannover. Unbelievable with which success stories they were able to surprise everybody of their Hannoveranian peers already in December of the same year.

In April 2008 two doctors and two nurses came to MHH to see their peers, to learn and exchange experiences, to prepare for the next stages of PICU development, and particularly to see how world class paediatric intensive care processes have to look like and how they have to be operated and controlled – ongoing, ever and ever, continuously. Reinforced they travelled home and applied what they learned with great success.

Soon after – Dr. Thomas Jack and the nurse Bettina Buhr completed the MHH team. And in April 2010 all four of them travelled to Sri Lanka, in order to help, to adjust, and to teach further subjects (in November 2011 Claudia Heinemann, another experienced nurse specialised in intensive care completed the team). With great success as the results and the various feedbacks showed. In particular it became obvious that training and learning in Galle under those specific conditions was much more efficient than in Hannover, where the game was played in a different league. 

The nurses until 2012 have been five times to Sri Lanka using considerable parts of their private vacations for support of their peers.



Here once more a photo showing the four – from left Bettina Buhr, PD Dr. Kathrin Seidemann, Dr. Thomas Jack, Hannah Tönsfeuerborn, and Claudia Heinemann (right).



Meanwhile a Foster-Agreement had been settled between MHH’s and Karapitiya’s PICU’s by which the future cooperation had been defined. This foster-ship contract needs sustainable support from the PICU Förderverein side still for a long period.



From January 10 to 30 2011 the two experienced nurses Hannah and Bettina joined their peers in Sri Lanka – to repeat, to reinforce, to work on  in particular three subjects

o   How new staff should be integrated as fast as possible

o   Re-animation in paediatrics

o   And the WHO subject of the year “hygiene”



Now there are also handouts and charts covering the WHO campaign: Save Lives – Clean Your Hands in Sinhala language: Translation management was in Hannah’s and Bettina’s hands. The important hygiene project is making good progress: Disinfection spray devices have been bought, medical soap is available, PICU has its own trained sweeper, and there have been ongoing training sessions, every day, for doctors, nurses, and minor staff, run by Betty and Hannah. We know from our own situation in Germany: There is still a lot to do.



In April 2011 Dr. Upeksha Linayage, head of Karapitiya’s PICU, came to Hannover for another three weeks stay at  Medical School in order to get deeper into various specific issues of paediatric intensive medicine.

A larger training package took place in November 2011 in Galle. PD Dr. Kathrin Seidemann, Dr. Thomas Jack, Hannah Tönsfeuerborn und Claudia Heinemann, streched over a period of 4 weeks went for a further training and quality development to Galle; further major training subjects were of course repetition, repetition, repetition, and handling modern medical technology not as solution but as  support for doctors and nurses.



Thomas’ programme in November was teaching and demonstrating.



It was Claudia’s first Sri Lanka appointment               Waiting for Kathrin’s lecture 



Defibrillator-Training by Hannah                    Kathrin’s ECG lecture



The year 2011 was the “Year of Competence Development” for the PICU staff in total. 7 doctors and 18 nurses have been waiting for training and support from their peers. Travelling will not be always the choice, more and more-learning and tele-medicine will come into the game.

Over time it will become easier since Dr. Manjula, a certified specialised paediatric for intensivist joined the PICU team in Galle.



There is now hope even for very small patients since bed number 5 is working and the specific technology is at hand.

Further improvements can be expected when once – hopefully in 2012 – the Intermediate Care Station on the upper floor would be ready.

Summarized in one sentence: The MHH team is doing a great job!



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