I just got off the phone with Heidi, Kate and Heather who are in Mityana, Uganda doing groundwork for what will be the next level of medical care in the region. They have been in meetings with health care workers, church and government leaders. They are developing strategies to address the huge medical challenges facing the people in Mityana District. A lack of equipment and medicine have resulted in a lot of mistrust on the part of locals toward nurses and other medical staff.
Heidi, Kate and Heather are meeting with key people to develop a training program leading to the formation of core teams for mobile medical clinics. This holistic training will include teaching the staff how to effectively pray for the sick recognizing community health indicators, etc. The teams will do quarterly clinics in outlying towns and villages that will provide not only health treatment, but health education and health indication research. In this way, we will be able to track the positive health change that is happening in the town as a result of the clinics.
Another interesting component with the integration of micro-business with health care. Our three ladies are meeting with a leader in the banking community on Saturday to discuss how small businesses can be started to provide funds for the mobile clinics. Rob Stockwell has started one of these businesses this week––an internet cafe in Mityana.
Tomorrow, they will be conducting a six hour health seminar for 2-300 people, including government leaders. Among the topics will be: sanitation, nutrition, sexual health and first aid.
Tragically, the problems with the current medical system were highlighted yesterday when Heather rushed a neighbour's one month old baby to the hospital. She had suffocated in her bed, but there was still a weak pulse. Heather performed CPR all the way to the hospital, keeping the baby alive. But when they arrived at the hospital, she discovered that they did not have the medicine that would have saved the child's life. The child died in Heather's arms.
These women are working hard to bring meaningful change that will directly affect the quality of life and the mortality rate in western Uganda.
To find out more, click here. To donate to this remarkable project, click here and choose "#357 Uganda Primary Healthcare".
Steve
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