Today was a day filled with meetings, site visits, and evidence gathering - all with the goal of moving forward our work with the charitable JOY Health Centre & Hospice and healthcare services in Mbale.
The first stop today was JOY Health Centre & Hospice, where I had the chance to see the newly completed compound floor (see before and after photos below). This simple yet impactful improvement has transformed the facility. Previously, the compound became dangerously muddy and slippery in the rainy season, but the new flooring makes it safer and more accessible for staff and patients alike.
To truly grasp the importance of JOY Hospice, you have to understand that over the past 40 years, life expectancy in Uganda has increased from 40 to 60 years. With people living longer, there is a much greater demand for hospital and palliative care services. Traditionally, palliative care in Uganda has been managed at home, and this remains the case for many. However, in Mbale, when hospitalisation was required, patients had few options until JOY Hospice opened its doors. Before, those in need of palliative care were often placed in acute wards, which doctors were reluctant to do. JOY Hospice became a game changer for the region, offering not only hospice care but also vital diagnostic services that the nearby District Hospital depends on.
Speaking of the District Hospital, my next stop was a meeting with their team. This was an eye-opener, to say the least. While I’ve seen hospitals in Africa before, it was clear that this facility faces immense challenges. Their palliative care services are practically non-existent, which explains their heavy reliance on JOY Hospice. Unfortunately, this is not an uncommon situation in Uganda, and the hospital made it clear that they have no plans to change, given the other urgent priorities they face.
The day wrapped up with a productive meeting with Dr Jan White, Joshua (her incredibly talented PA who has become an invaluable asset to the charity), and an official from the City Engineering Department. The city of Mbale is fully on board with the project to build a new hospice, and they are doing everything they can to ensure it moves forward smoothly.
By the end of the day, I had gathered enough information to return to my hotel and revise the Project Brief and Business Case. Tomorrow, we’ll refine it further before heading back to Kampala to meet with the leadership team at the Deliverance Church.
It is good to feel that you have achieved all that you wanted to achieve in a day. It is especially good when that happens in Africa, and incredibly rare. Today was one of those days.
Geoff Coleman
Chief Executive
Mildmay Hospital
See Geoff's previous Muzungu blog posts here:
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Mzungu, also known as muzungu, mlungu, musungu or musongo, is a Bantu word that means "wanderer" originally pertaining to spirits. The term is currently used in predominantly Swahili-speaking nations to refer to foreign people dating back to the 18th century. The noun Mzungu or its variants are used in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Malawi, Rwanda, Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Comoros, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Mayotte, Zambia and in Northern Madagascar (the word changed to "vozongo" in Malagasy, but locals will still understand the word mzungu) dating back to the 18th century.
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