Parish Project 2006
Becca's Letter from Uganda
Dear Members of the Parish of Eaton Bray with Edlesborough,
Thank you all so much for your generosity in your fundraising last year. We really appreciate all your efforts in helping to raise money to improve the facilities at Kagando Hospital.
During 2006, you raised over £5,000, which still amazes me, and we are all so grateful. Over the past year we have been able to spend some of it, and are already feeling the benefits. We are still waiting for other pieces of equipment to come, and have finally arranged what the rest of the money is to be spent on.
So far we have used the money to:
- Complete a resuscitation cupboard on the Surgical Ward - as you are well aware it is vital to have resuscitation facilities on a ward. When making a cupboard we were able to find much of the equipment required in stores, but we used some of the money to purchase things that were not there - this included a suction pump (to clear secretions from the lungs, the cupboard and a sterile drum for gauze.
- We've set up a more intensive care area to monitor and treat poorly patients. The area has already been a huge help to many patients. It really helps the nurses and doctors to care for their patients, and you can notice a difference in the care and what they are able to do. The intensive care area now includes:
- An oxygen concentrator
- A machine to monitor the amount of oxygen in a patient's blood
- We have ordered, and are waiting for, a machine to monitor a patient's blood pressure.
- We have built a path between the Surgical Ward and Physiotherapy, which also links up the Leprosy and our Fistula Ward to the Surgical Wards. So many of the staff have commented on what a difference the path is making. It is really helping us, especially in transferring patients so that they can be treated in the most appropriate place.
- Our electricity is provided by hydroelectric. When there is a fault with this, or the water level is too low, we have problems with power. A generator is then used, but that too is old, it breaks down and is inefficient in its use of fuel. £1,000 of the money you raised will be going towards a fund to purchase a new generator.
- We will also be purchasing and installing an inverter system in the Surgical Ward. This is where batteries are put on the ward and wired to sockets. When the power goes off it automatically switches to the batteries so that things like oxygen concentrators and lights can continue working
- The rest of the money will be used to renovate the Operating Theatre area. This is currently quite small, it has two theatres and an area where patients can be assessed, put to recover after their operations, wait to go into theatre, or where minor operations are carried out. We are, therefore, planning to extend theatre to create a space for patients to go after they have had their operations, before they go back to the ward.
So thanks again so much for your generosity. You can see that we've been able to achieve and change an awful lot due to your generosity. Many, many people will benefit from it. And we are all so thankful to you for it.
With thanks
Rebecca Baldock
