Top Guns

Jenny Green is a now a Canon.

This has made Malcolm very confused as he is not sure:

- he thought you had to be dead to be Canonised

- why she is now named after a Japanese manufacturer of digital cameras? Have they sponsored her? (If only!!!!)

Fortunately during the service last Sunday it was explained that a Canon is responsible for running the Cathedral (the name Canon is based on the old name for the Canon of Law) and ‘keeping the Bishop in order’! (And has nothing to do with being canonised i.e. made a saint!). Jenny is one of 4 new Canons to be appointed and we celebrated afterwards with a reception including delicious cakes.

The other significant event this week was that we visited Kisiizi Hospital for 3 days.

Kisiizi is about 80 miles from Kisoro, but takes about 6 hours to get there by public transport and Hospital car. Malcolm was asked to visit the Hospital to discuss the possibility of helping with some of their financial work later this year.

The Hospital is set in a remote rural area of Uganda. It is located at the end of a picturesque mountainous valley at the end of a long, unmade, bumpy road. Because it has its own water driven power station it is said to have the most reliable electricity supply in Uganda. It was founded in 1958, is owned by the Diocese of North Kagezi, has 250 beds with about 300 staff. It provides a wide range of general medical services including maternity, surgical, orthopaedic, paediatric, HIV treatment, psychiatric care, dentistry and eye clinics. Irene was fascinated to see a 2 hour old premature baby weighing just 0.8 kg

Coincidentally, whilst we were there various ‘Top Guns’ came to open the new Operating Theatre. This was funded by St Pauls Anglican Parish, Glenageary in Southern Ireland, so there were visitors from there as well as the Diocese Bishop, a representative of the Irish Ambassador, the Regional District Commissioner (with her personal guard with gun), representative of the Minister of Health and the District Police Commissioner (who had his own gun).

The Irish parish had previously funded the new Maternity and Childrens' wards, and as well as the Theatre they are paying for the training of a new surgeon. Unfortunately, because Ireland has suffered worse financial problems than the UK as a result of the banking crisis it is unlikely that the parish will be able to afford to provide further financial support to the Hospital for the time being. This is an example of the problems that many developing countries will be facing as a result of the financial difficulties of the developed world.

And we all had a piece of cake to celebrate the opening of the theatre!