Renovation of Hope Community Clinic completed and update

Monthly Update
Written by
Debbie
•
June 22, 2024

Thanks to very generous donations, we are pleased to announce that the essential renovation of Hope Community Clinic has been completed to a very high standard. Selezio, the excellent building engineer, supervised the repair of the exterior walls, removing all the crumbling mortar, inserting damp course and repairing the wall with good quality cement. A plaster shelf was then inserted and brick rendering was applied below.  As can be seen in the photograph, the front ramp has also been replaced with a shallower one, with steps to the side and a rain shelter has been added to  protect the front access.  The clinic has also been repainted, inside and out, including all the metalwork, inside walls have been repaired and retiled and bathrooms and sinks have been repaired or replaced.

The lab is about to be refurbished with new shelving to support the CBC blood testing machine, which was kindly donated by Kisiizi Hospital.  This will be much appreciated by Abel, the lab technician, who had 1,254 clients from January to May this year.  This number will increase when the clinic is able to provide full maternity services.

We thank God that the daily work at the clinic was able to continue throughout the renovations.  From January to May 2024 a total of 2,363 clients were seen at the clinic. 301 people were treated for malaria, 31 of whom were so ill that they required admission for a couple of nights in order to save their lives. 641 babies received routine immunisations; family planning, antenatal and post natal care continued and a variety of acute health conditions were treated, including a child with sepsis who required intravenous antibiotics.

In early March, 6 members of the clinic team took part in a government funded free vaccination programme against yellow fever and over one week, they vaccinated 12,000 people aged 1yr to 60yrs. Health education talks continue in local schools and midwife Brenda recently encouraged the children to look after their teeth. The photo shows Brenda with the delighted children, who were each given tooth paste.

The clinic team remain very supportive of each other as well as the community. They love nothing better than a celebration and the chance to share a cake! The photos show midwife, Brenda with her new husband, Victor, on their wedding day with Martha, one of our nurses. Then you can see the nursing team being celebrated on International Nurses' Day and Nurse Sharon, who was awarded "Employee of the Year" at the 5th Anniversary celebrations of the clinic.  The party to celebrate this event was also a thanksgiving for the renovation work at the clinic and was attended by representatives from Kisiizi Hospital and  World Shine Ministieis, as well as the clinic team.

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The clinic team work closely with the "Rwentobo Sisters" who are catholic nuns who care for those in need in the community. They often refer clients to the clinic but sometimes people are too disabled to be able to attend and then Julius and a few of the team will try to find time to visit them at home, as shown in this photo. Although this man's pressure sores are healing he has a variety of health issues and his family are very poor.  This is the sort of family who would benefit from the Kisiizi Health Insurance Scheme, so that they can access health care at the clinic and at Kisiizi hospital at a very low cost. However, even though the premiums for the whole family to be insured for a year would be only £22, they have no money to commit to this.  Last year, some supporters of Mission Rwentobo made one-of donations to cover the cost for health insurance for one year for families such as this.  Depending on the size of the family, the cost is £20 to £25 annually and we are now looking for donations for the upcoming year. If you feel able to contribute, please see the link at the foot of this message or reply to the email for more information.
This photo shows the power house at the clinic with the solar batteries which are supposed to store power from the solar panels on the roof. Unfortunately, these broke down over a year ago, so the clinic only has electricity when the sun is shining.  When it is dark or raining, the staff have to use torches.  As the plan is to extend the maternity services to include the delivery of babies, reliable electricity is crucial but it would cost about £4,000 to replace these batteries.  An alternative is to invest in an inverter which could store grid electricity during the day, which could then be used at night. Enquiries are currently being made regarding the most sustainable and affordable option.  Unfortunately, the application to the Jephcott trust for funding to cover this need as well as a placenta pit and incinerator to enable full maternity care to be set up, was not successful.  Therefore, we need prayer for guidance regarding funding and what to prioritise.

Mission Rwentobo Trustees would like to thank Arthur Magoola for his work as treasurer for the charity during the last year.  We have really valued his input but, due to increasing work pressures, he will be resigning from mid July.  We are grateful that Mike Seaman, a long-term supporter of the charity, has agreed to take on this role so please pray for them both during the transition period.

Nurse Sharon will soon be upgrading her qualification to diploma level by attending a part-time course at Kisiizi Hospital School of Nursing.  Please pray that she will be able to cope with the pressure of work and part-time study and that the rest of the team will not be under too much pressure as they try to fill the gaps.

Thank you all so much for your prayer and financial  support which has made such a difference.  The clinic team send their thanks for enabling them to work in an improved environment which also inspires more confidence in the patients.   We have been amazed by the way in  which God has provided throughout the renovation, despite disappointments regarding funding applications.  We know that we can trust God for the next phase - he has "moved mountains" before and He will do it again.

Wishing you all a lovely summer on behalf of Mission Rwentobo.

Debbie Burke (chairparson).