Posts Tagged ‘Muvonde Hospital’

Autoclave up and running at Muvonde Mission Hospital

Sunday, April 15th, 2012

Last year, Better Healthcare for Africa purchased a large, refurbished autoclave for Muvonde Mission Hospital in Zimabwe. The autoclave was shipped to Muvonde by Brother’s Brother Foundation as part of a container shipment. We’d like to again thank Brother’s Brother for giving BHA the opportunity to meet this important need for Muvonde. Recently, a physician at Muvonde wrote:

I would like to inform you that the new autoclave is now fully working since 3 days. The nurses are very happy and grateful. It saves us a lot of time. I wish you – a little bit late – happy easter days.

All the best and once more THANK YOU.

 

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BHA 2011 Year-End Review

Monday, December 26th, 2011

Dear Friends,

As the year comes to a close we are excited to share the accomplishments of Better Healthcare for Africa with you. BHA had a very successful year in 2011, and we hope you will consider making a tax-deductible donation to enable us to continue our efforts. We often worked in partnership with other nonprofits in ways that were mutually beneficial and that enabled us to stretch our precious dollars. We look forward to continuing those relationships. Here is a brief recap of BHA’s main activities in 2011:

  • BHA helped Brother’s Brother Foundation (BBF) and Hospital Sisters Mission Outreach supply and support a 40-foot container of donated medical supplies that BBF shipped to St. Albert’s Mission Hospital this summer.
  •  BHA purchased a large refurbished autoclave for Muvonde Mission Hospital, which BBF shipped to Muvonde as part of another container shipment this autumn. Muvonde performs an impressive number of surgeries daily, including mastectomies and prostatectomies for cancer, and cataract and glaucoma surgery. They had been without a large autoclave since 1990.
  •  Muvonde was one of five hospitals visited in early 2011. During this trip, BHA hand-carried medical supplies that were shared among these hospitals. The supplies were provided by Columbus area hospitals and by Brother’s Brother. Read about the overall visit here.
  • Through BBF, BHA worked with International Orthodox Christian Charities to provide five pediatric wheelchairs for St. Albert’s and for Mutemwa Leprosy and Care Centre in Zimbabwe.
  •  Global Links Suture Program provided hundreds of sutures that BHA shipped to St. Albert’s, which shared many of them with other mission hospitals.
  •  Through the generosity of individual donors, BHA provided several teaching models for a new midwifery training program at St. Albert’s.
  •  BHA began accepting donations on behalf of Maipelo Trust, a charity registered in Gaborone, Botswana, that provides medical care to Zimbabwean and other migrant and refugee families with AIDS in Botswana.

In 2012, we will work to improve cancer care at St Albert’s and other hospitals in Zimbabwe. Our focus will be cervical- and breast-cancer early detection, treatment and education. Donations to help support this effort are needed.

BHA is an all-volunteer organization with minimal expenses, so 98-99% of donations go toward improving healthcare and reducing suffering in southern Africa. Please make a donation using PayPal on our website or by mailing a check, payable to Better Healthcare for Africa, to our postal address:

Better Healthcare for Africa
P.O. Box 361132
Columbus, OH 43236-1132

Thank you, and all of us at Better Healthcare for Africa hope you have a New Year of peace, contentment and good health.

Sincerely…Darrell

Darrell E. Ward
President
Better Healthcare for Africa

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Autoclave purchased for Muvonde Mission Hospital

Tuesday, November 8th, 2011

Better Healthcare for Africa (BHA) has purchased a large autoclavethat has been desperately needed by Muvonde Hospital (also called Driefontein Mission Hospital) to sterilize surgical instruments and other items needed for surgery. Muvonde Hospital is located 120 miles south of Harare.

Refurbished autoclave of the type purchased by BHA for Muvonde Hospital.

The refurbished, $7,500 autoclave measures 24” x 36” x 60”. It was rebuilt by and purchased from CHOSEN Mission Project and included in a container of donated medical supplies assembled for Muvonde Hospital and Nyadire Hospital by Brother’s Brother Foundation (BBF). BBF shipped the container to Zimbabwe Oct. 17.

Muvonde Hospital has 190 beds and a School of Nursing. It has been without a large autoclave since 1990, says administrator Mr. Musvolen Zhou. “We have been relying on two small [autoclaves], which have to work almost the whole day due to the number of items which need to be autoclaved,” he said by email. “The new autoclave will mean saving electrical power, saving manpower [because workers must] attend the autoclave everyday and the whole day, and it will prompt provision of sterile material to user departments.”

Muvonde was one of five hospitals visited by BHA in March 2011. The hospital performs a high number of surgeries (528 major and 469 minor surgeries in 2009), including prostatectomies, mastectomies and emergencies, three or more per day. Two days a week are reserved for eye surgeries for cataracts and glaucoma.

The crated autoclave in the Brother's Brother warehouse ready for loading into the container and shipment to Muvonde Mission Hospital.

Please send a donation to BHA today to help improve healthcare access, treatment and education for underserved people in southern Africa. Your contribution will support care and education programs at St Albert’s Mission Hospital,  targeted equipment purchases such as a large autoclave for Muvonde Mission Hospital, and treatment programs such as Maipelo Trust.

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