In October of 2009, the Friends of Ruwenzori Foundation launched a hospital fund, a capital campaign to raise funds for a much needed hospital at the KIDA center. To date we have raised $224,000. KIDA constructed the needed buildings and solar panels and FOR sent a shipment of hospital equipment. This effort allowed KIDA in August of 2011 to open and begin offering general inpatient and outpatient services to the rural community for the first time. More money is needed to maintain services and expand infrastructure. If you wish to send a check for the new KIDA hospital, please label your check "KIDA Hospital Fund" and send it to:
Friends of Ruwenzori c/o Karen Gleason, 8 Altamount Drive, Orinda, CA 94563. Or you may designate your on-line donation to "KIDA hospital fund" on our donate page. Thank you!
EVERY GIFT HELPS!
Progress report on Kitojo’s Hospital project, February 6, 2012.
KIDA spent the first half of 2011 finishing construction projects on the KIDA compound to allow expansion of the AIDS clinic into a full fledged hospital for the whole community. They attached an annex for surgery to the newly constructed General Ward; they built a building with toilets for staff, patients and their caregivers; they created a separate building for vaccinations and prenatal care; they began to build much needed staff housing. They also installed solar panels and batteries to provide power, thanks to funding help from the Doris Duke Foundation and an individual donor.
In July, KIDA hired staff for the new hospital and began orienting them. In collaboration with the Uganda Ministry of Health (who issued a license to KIDA to operate a health center), KIDA opened the hospital on August 2nd, 2011, designated "Family Health Day". 1600 people showed up to take advantage of the one day of free testing and treatment. In the month of August, 222 outpatients were seen, 31 inpatients were admitted and 7 babies were born. The numbers of patients have been steadily increasing since.
Early last year in Boston, MA, the International Medical Equipment Collaborative (IMEC) gathered and packed complete suites of donated hospital equipment according the the specifications of KIDA. The 40 foot shipping container left June 24th and finally arrived at KIDA hospital on November 25th. The community received it with great joy and the staff has, by now, pressed most of the equipment into service. KIDA is currently getting ready to open the surgery annex and offer Cesarian sections to women in obstructed and complicated labor.
Currently KIDA is maintaining outpatient and inpatient services with funds from the Friends of Ruwenzori. The more than doubling of KIDA's operating costs, due to the addition of the hospital, has overstretched the fundraising capacity of Friends of Ruwenzori. More help is needed from both additional partners and current donors to assure KIDA Hospital's viability. Please contact Karen Gleason to volunteer financial help and partnering suggestions.
More infrastructure needs are completion of the staff house, a fence around the KIDA compound, a mortuary and more solar panels. The next building to be built is the Maternity Ward to give more room for mothers and babies. Help us build it! Every gift helps.
