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On behalf of the entire medical staff we thank the European Union and the Cheltenham Kambia Hospital Appeal for rehabilitating the hospital. We appreciate the good work of the team in Cheltenham and MSF Holland in Kambia, especially Richard Kerr-Wilson for providing treatment for the women with fistulas. Such operations would normally cost millions of leones in this country.
The hospital relies on 59 unpaid volunteers, including 30 nursing aids, 10
labourers, 10 porters, 4 laundry workers, 1 cook and 4 security guards. Please help us pay for their valuable work. |
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The new hospital is an improvement but it is under staffed and we do not yet have all the necessary facilities, such as air conditioning in the operating theatre where the temperature can reach 40oC. We have been busy in the theatre this week with the visit of Richard Kerr-Wilson. All the fistula operations have gone well. I have now been trained to do spinal blocks, which are very useful for caesarean sections. |
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Makalay Mansaray - District Health Sister at Magbutaka
Hospital
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| Until 2002, I was Sister of the Under 5s clinic and antenatal clinic here in Kambia. I am now the District Health Sister at Magbutaka Hospital, which is 250 miles away. This is my first visit back to Kambia since the hospital's rehabilitation and it is so good to revisit Kambia. When I was re-posted, Kambia hospital lay in ruins. Now with its new and additional buildings it is very impressive. The entire hospital complex is now enclosed by a secure wall. The staff houses are comfortable. This is the only hospital in Sierra Leone with this quality of staff accommodation. I have enjoyed meeting my old colleagues from the hospital and also my dear friends from Cheltenham. |
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Veronia Jarboe - Sister of the Under 5s and Antenatal clinics
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The Under 5s clinic and the antenatal clinic now benefit from being on site within the hospital grounds. The mothers and babies can go straight to the pharmacy or to the laboratory for blood tests if they need them, and pregnant women who attend the antenatal clinic can be admitted to the labour ward if necessary. There is a wonderful new malarial test now available for children at the hospital which takes only fifteen minutes to confirm positive cases. This means that treatment can begin immediately and saves a lot of time. |
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Margaret Conteh - Kambia Hospital Nurse
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| For me, the hospital still needs equipment and is still under staffed. The visit from Richard Kerr-Wilson is a big relief to the community and the hospital as a whole. We have so many incontinent women needing fistula operations in Kambia so his time has been well spent. All the patients operated on are doing well. They appreciate it, and they receive good nursing care. There is a good team spirit in the hospital, and the local community values this very much. Those who were unfortunate not to have the operation wish Richard a good life, good luck and please come again soon. The nurses love him on the female ward and we hope he will visit again soon. God bless. |
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Abdul T Dean - Water and Sanitation Officer for Kambia District
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For my job I work across the whole of the Kambia District, often staying over night if necessary. I teach people how to rehydrate themselves when they have had sickness and diarrhoea by drinking boiled water with salt and sugar added. We have a problem with diseases from water, such a cholera. There is one cholera patient at the hospital right now. Luckily very small children are protected from the disease as they are breast fed for up to two years. Cholera is spread by water during the rainy season. Chlorinating village wells is an important part of my job as it makes the water safe to drink.
The motorbike donated to the district by the Cheltenham Appeal is a great help to my job because it allows me to travel easily from village to village so more people are helped. |
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Frances Pearce - Hospital Matron
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I have been working here in Kambia for four months since the new hospital opened. Although the hospital is now very good, there are only 20 qualified nurses on the payroll so we have to employ another 20 volunteers. In the wards, there is only one set of linen for each bed, we have no spare sets, and we are short of sterilising units. We provide three meals per day for the patients - tea in the morning, rice in the afternoon and millet in the evening. The water shortages at the hospital now during the wet season means that there will be big problems when the dry season commences. |
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Dr Wilson - Acting Medical Officer for Kambia District
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| The district hospital draws patients not only from the seven chiefdoms of Kambia but also from Guinea, the neighbouring country. In terms of projects for the future, in a district the size of Kambia communication is vital. More radio links between rural medical clinics and the hospital are necessary. We are hoping that the situation will soon be improved with the installation of a mobile phone mast in Kambia. Transport remains a problem because many people need to travel many miles to reach the hospital. |
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Alusine
Kamara - Community Health Officer in
Kambia District, in charge of HIV testing and treatment
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| This
is a great opportunity for me to learn more about
medicine and new skills. But more importantly it
is a marvellous opportunity for the people of Kambia.
Soon they will have a new doctor. Without the
Cheltenham support this would not happen. We thank
everyone in Cheltenham from the bottom of our hearts for
their kindness and their friendship. |
