January 2007With the help of Tekera Resource Centre and Choose A Need, we furnished the inside of the clinic.    March 2007A team of medical students, nurses and doctors opened the doors at EHC and saw almost 1,000 patients.    April 2007 Saw the opening of the doors of the Engeye Health Clinic for the first time. Two doctors, a trauma nurse and 12 medical students from Albany Medical College hit the ground running in the first few days of April. So little time - so great the need. Thanks to the remarkable efforts of our colleague John Kalule and with guidance from Brigitte and Bruce Daley at Tekera Resource Centre, the clinic was ready for business upon our arrival. Exam beds were in place, medications on site, and volunteers' quarters comfortably furnished.  Word of the clinic's debut had been spreading through Ddegeya and neighboring villages for months, so it was no surprise to see more than 200 people in line on our first morning. Nearly 1,000 villagers would pass through our doors before it was time to say good-bye. Malaria and STD's were rampant, pneumonia, HIV, and skin infections widespread. Positive diagnoses were not always possible without a lab on site, however we hope that we can have that problem solved by the time we return in November. Accurate records and statistics were gathered as well, and will be analyzed to facilitate our future goals.  We were able to achieve our goal of sustainability by hiring a local Ugandan nurse, Ronaldo, who will keep the doors of the clinic open full-time. John Kalule will remain as the clinic manager. This trip proved to be a profoundly inspirational learning experience for all of the volunteers. We accomplished so much and couldn't have done it without your compassionate support. Clinic manager, John Kalule, nurse practitioner Laurence, and Laurence's helper, Alice, were hired as full-time paid staff.   July 2007Engeye Health Clinic had a sign post made for the main highway!   November 2007A team of medical students, engineers, and public health enthusiasts from the U.S and Rwanda installed solar panels, tested the well water for parasites, created solar garbage disposal areas, introduced new musical instruments, and with the help of local doctors and nurses, tested and treated for malaria.Nobody said building and maintaining a health clinic half way around the world in partnership with a country starkly different than our own would be easy. Not easy for the Ugandans, nor the Americans. And definitely not stress-free for the few key individuals working behind the scenes to organize, plan, and fundraise.  But Clinic Manager John and Nurse Practitioner Laurence are persevering in Uganda under the challenging circumstances, working daily at the clinic seeing and treating patients to the best of their ability. And despite the rigors of medical and engineering school and full-time work, the November 2007 team found the time to prepare for 6 months prior to their journey to Uganda to ease some of the challenges faced at Engeye Health Clinic.  In collaboration with local Ugandans, the November team successfully installed 4 solar panels and wired the clinic and parts of the volunteer houses as a first step toward acquiring reliable electricity. For the first time ever, the clinic had light! Under the supervision of a local doctor the team administered malaria quick tests and other basic health care needs. The team bore gifts for the local primary school - from workbooks to musical instruments - and fought back tears as they were treated to the traditional and heart-felt Ugandan thank-you in the form of music and dancing by the local children. At the close of the long days, the team played guitars, danced and caroused under newfound light, at the same time bringing two cultures closer together than most Americans or Ugandans will ever experience with another culture in their lifetime.    |
