March 2010

March Update from Nyakato, Tanzania

Hello all,

From Den Lofstrom, Chief Operations Officer:

During the next six months we are going to be extremely busy accommodating the scheduled medical teams and many medical students as well as our first dental team, to come to Nyakato Health Center. We are finishing off one of the operating rooms in the eye clinic to serve as a temporary dental suite. The storage building adjacent to the eye clinic will house the new generator that is being shipped with the dental unit and equipment.

This year we have no new hospital units being built, but are working on completing and renovation of the Patricia Ward and bringing the water and electrical services to the birthing center as well as the eye clinic.

The survey for the borehole site has been completed and we know where that is to be placed. The exact placement of the eye ward, the emergency trauma unit, and the men’s medical/surgical ward will complete the upper tier of the hospital. As time and funding permits, we will put in the footings, foundations, and slabs for these units in preparation for construction teams to volunteer to build these next three units. We solicit your help to make these plans become a reality.

From Paula Lofstrom, chief flunky…

We are settling back into our routine here at Nyakato. It’s taken a few weeks to get back into the rhythm of our days here. The building has had to slow down because donations slacked off after the earthquake in Haiti. Certainly those people needed help desperately. We cut back on our staff and are doing what we can with the money we have.

Len and Gloria Duda said goodbye after six months of service to IHP. They’re now in South Africa experiencing hot showers with real water pressure and luxuries like that. Their e-mails tend to gloat a little, but they deserve it. They made a real difference in the buildings here.

We had a team from Gunderson Lutheran Medical Center that attended 675 patients and did about 70 surgical procedures in 10 days. It was very busy. Our staff worked hard. The students worked hard. The U.K. docs worked hard, and the Gunderson team worked tirelessly. The people in the area are still talking about the fact that people come from so far away to help out here. It’s just amazing to see and hear.

We’ve decided to focus the funds we have to get the birthing center ready for the OB/Gyn team that is coming the last week of April and first week of May. We’ll need to install a big SIM tank on a tower so there will be plenty of water with good pressure. Then they’ll set the toilets and do the rest of the plumbing. The rooms are beautiful, the walls have gypsum on them and they’re beautifully white and smooth. They need to be sealed and painted, but we don’t have the money for that right now. Plumbing comes first. Eventually we’d like to tile the floors but that will be about $500 per room. Next year a team of artists from Kansas City is going to paint murals on the walls of the birthing center. That will be fabulous!

Another interesting development is that a hydrology team did a study here and found 3 spots where there is mostly likely water right under the property about 210 feet down. We can do a test bore hole for about $12,000. If they’re right and the water is there, then we will need the pipe, submersible pump, and wiring. If this could be solar powered, that would be even better.

Then it’s a matter of putting in a system of water purification. The Canadian orphanage uses a system of rock, sand, and microbes to purify their water and we’d like to do that, too. We’re not sure what it would cost yet, but safe water for our patients would be one of the best things we could offer. Typhoid and other water borne diseases are endemic here.

Speaking of slow and unreliable internet…..it is not efficient to send me messages on Facebook. If you want to e-mail us, please use one of the 3 e-mail addresses: paulalofstrom@yahoo.com, paulalofstrom@gmail.com, or paula@ihptz.org. They’re not always up and running at the same time, but some days they work, or some of them work. Sometimes.

The next container will be loaded in Mississippi sometime later this year. The team leader for this is Craig Bjorgum and his e-mail is: craig@belindastewartarchitects.com. There is a list of tools requested for IHP and if you’d like to join that treasure hunt, Craig has the list. If you want the list from me, just let me know and we’ll send it to you – if the time EVER comes we can do attachments again!!! Grrrrr. I’m going to go talk to the VodaCom people tomorrow and see if anything can be done! Remember, the cost of sending us a container is about $10.57 per cubic foot, so if you send stuff to Craig to send to us, please include that with your “in kind” donation.

Earlier this week, after my swim/workout, and during my prayer time, I said my usual thank yous, and requests, then just sat “in the stillness”. That’s when God talks, you know – when you’re listening. Of course, my request was for the money to get us through the month. We’ve always made payroll, but I was terribly worried. Then the words that came into my head were, “Help is already on the way.”

Well, of course when thoughts/words like that come into one’s head, you ask yourself, is this just wishful thinking? Did God really put those words into my thoughts? Hmm. Is help REALLY on the way?

The very next day we received $3770 in deposits including $3,000 from United Methodist Church in Marengo, Iowa. This donation meant we could keep going for March, that we could meet our payroll and pay the social security for our workers. Not much left-over for building supplies, but enough to get us through one more month. Thank you, thank you. Thank you, God.

If you’d like to help us get through April, please send donations to:

International Health Partners, US & TZ

Joyce Zemel, Treasurer

1811 So. 39^th St. #36

Mesa, AZ 85206

One of our guests pointed out that our website was a bit out of date, but Rex and Sue Thompson have gone through it now and updated it. Please check out our website at www.ihptz.org. Rex and Sue have done a wonderful job and we really appreciate it. Also, if you’d like to donate that way, you can do it right from the website through Just Give.

Now, notes from our guests/volunteers/students, and team members:

From Phil Yee, MD, March 8, 2010

Gunderson Lutheran had the fortunate opportunity to provide care to the people of Nyakato and Mwanza, Tanzania. This was our first medical mission as an organization as well as for many of its individual participants. This mission trip was surgery based and the whole GL group utilized their talents to attempt a smooth operative experience for both the Tanzanian patients and the GL team. Over our 8 days of service, we concentrated on outpatient surgery as well as teach the local medical staff. As with all missions, obstacles and glitches were experienced but were resolved to allow for a successful mission. After the long days, the staff was exhausted but the patients’ and families smiles confirmed that this mission was worthwhile. We, in turn, were also taught numerous medical and cultural lessons from the kind and thoughtful staff of Nyakato Health Center. While this trip has confirmed the medical passion of the team members, we have also been humbled by the standards of care that the Tanzanian people receive at this wonderful site. We are grateful and honored to collaboratively work with the staff of this medical facility. Asante sana to all.

Katharina:

Hello, my name is Katharina. I am a medical student from Germany and I stayed in Nyakato for 3 weeks. During my time at the Nyakato Health Center I learned a lot about tropical diseases. The staff at clinic welcomed me very friendly and was always happy to answer all the questions which appeared. It was really interesting to see the doctors at work. Every morning the waiting room was packed but the people waited patiently to see the doctor. Typhoid and Malaria are the main medical problems the people have to deal with in this region. The NHC can provide comprehensive management in terms of diagnosis and treatment. Beside the medical issues, it was nice to see how many local people are employed on the building side for the hospital and get the chance to feed their family. Asante sana and Goodbye.

Daniel Schoelch:

My name is Daniel and I’m a medical student from Germany. Today I’m going to continue my journey through Tanzania after 2 ½ weeks working at the Nyakato Hospital. Although the Nyakato Health Center is not finished yet, I had a great time and I will miss all the interesting and friendly people I met here. I’m grateful I had the possibility to make such a great experience and I really hope all the buildings can be finished in a not too long period of time so that the NHC can help more people and in a better way than it already does. A greater diversity of patients will also be an advantage for the medical students coming here. Assisting the medical team from the US was fun. Kwa heri! Daniel Schoelch, Germany

Nia Jones and Michael Morton:

This is our second and last addition to the newsletter. Today myself and Michael leave for Uganda. We are two doctors from the UK who have been fortunate to have had 3 weeks at Nyakato Health Centre. We continue to be impressed by the hard work and dedication of all the staff and are delighted to have been welcomed as part of the medical team. It has been a pleasure to treat the patients and to have worked alongside a wonderful medical and nursing team led by Dr Bon. Diolch yn fawr Nia Jones and Michael Morton

Paula writing again:

Thanks to all, and thank you, God

Lets take a look at some pictures!

Staff waiting Employee of Week Results