This is Kisiizi Hospital

 

Sixty years ago, (when Malcolm was but a lad) a Church Mission Society doctor, John Sharpe, visited a remote location in the mountains of south west Uganda where he found an old flax mill with its own hydro-electric scheme. The extremely poor peasant farmers would have had to walk 40 miles to reach the nearest hospital.

As water, electricity, patients in (desperate) need and a doctor are some of the essentially ingredients for a hospital he raised donations to buy the flax mill and convert it to a hospital.

The original mill building became the original wards. The central part was converted into a chapel and the wings are still used as 2 surgical wards.

 

Over the years further donations were raised and additional wards built.

 

The maternity ward probably saves most lives. Without a hospital or health centre many women died whilst in labour due to not receiving the proper medical assistance that we take for granted in the UK. Even today the maternal (and baby) death rates are unacceptably high in Uganda because many expectant mothers cannot access, or cannot afford to pay for ante-natal care and rely on traditional practices in child birth.

 

Many children suffer illnesses or accidents. Malaria continues to be a killer for the vulnerable; there are diseases such as measles and polio which we have almost forgotten about in the UK, and accidents are common. The childrens’ ward brings hope to the children and their parents.

 

There is a play area for children recovering from operations – (playgrounds are not a common feature in Uganda).

 

Sadly, when Malcolm first came to Kisiizi about 7 years ago a 4 year old boy, Jamie, visiting the hospital with his parents, died from a bacterial infection after visiting a zoo in Kampala. His parents wanted to raise money for the hospital in memory of their son. Kisiizi is one of the very, very few hospitals in Uganda to have a mental health ward and clinic. This was based in one of the flax mills original buildings and was in need of replacing so the supporters of ‘Jamies Fund’ paid for a new ‘Ahumuza’ centre. (Meaning a place of comfort)

 

Where there used to be Despair there is now Hope.