VERY SAD NEWS AND SOME GOOD NEWS

A TRAGIC ACCIDENT

Last week we heard the shocking news that two of our board members had been killed in a tragic car accident. We send our sincere condolences to their families for their great loss. They will be greatly missed by our board and staff.

THIS YEAR'S VOLUNTEERS

We are really pleased to let you know that the following international volunteers have confirmed that they will work with us this year:

Sebastian Nedak a medical student from Germany, who will be working with us for his medical elective for six weeks from June 25th.

Kelly Potter from the US, who will be working with us for three months from September.

James Harrison and his medical colleagues from Australia will be working with us, arriving in July. You may remember James visited us at the end of last year.

A doctor from the Emirates has applied to work with us for a year from October (we are just awaiting further documentation from him) and we are currently discussing some opportunities for another volunteer from Italy, who will be moving to Nairobi for a year in September.

We are always so grateful to all the volunteers who are willing to share their skills and give so much of their time to support the work we do. If you are interested in working with us please go to our "volunteering" section on our website; we would be very interested to hear from you.
(http://arrowkenya.org/help.php#volunteer)

Other visitors

Since our last post, we are really pleased to tell you that Muriel Armstrong a director from COCO visited us. Muriel a senior nursing lecturer from the UK, set up the Kenya Acorn Project in Ndhiwa in Western Kenya in 1998.The charity now runs a hospital and supports five schools.Bram and Muriel were able to share experiences of providing health services in two very different locations.
(http://www.kenyaacornproject.org/History.html).

Thank you for taking the time to visit us, Muriel, during your visit to Kenya.

NHS Grampian

You may remember that we applied to the International Health Links Funding Scheme for funding to support NHS Grampian volunteer doctors and midwives provide training on maternal and infant health for our staff. Unfortunately this application was not successful. However we have just heard that Dr Jamie Hogg's application to the British Medical Association will support another visit from NHS Grampian volunteers later this year. We are now working hard to find funding for a solar powered generator and reliable water supply for the hospital before their visit.

NHIF AUDIT UPDATE

Every quarter we are inspected by the Kenyan government's National Hospital Insurance Fund auditors. In April we scored well with an average of 65% (against the minimum 45% required). The main areas we need to work on are " Equipments and diagnostic" and "Transport". Both depend on our abilty to raise funds. We now need to provide an ambulance to transport patients to more specialist facilities as well as other basic equipment.

Of course the day to day work of the hospital and community outreach team continues, as we face many challenges and work hard to improve the quality of the services we provide. We rely on the commitment and dedication of our board and staff and the great support we receive from local colleagues and our international network of friends and partners.

Another safe delivery at Arrow Web Hospital - this makes it all worthwhile

Volunteering at Arrow Web Hospital

Arrow Web Hospital staff said fairwell to our second internationally based medical volunteer this week, but before Amanda Brookes departed for the UK, she agreed to answer some questions about her volunteer experience over the past month. If you are a medical professional interested in volunteering with us, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Amanda, we thank you for your work and appreciate the kindness that you demonstrated to the people of Kayole-Soweto and your willingness to share your experience with others.

1. What is your name of your organization or group that assigned you to volunteer at Arrow Web Hospital?

I did not organize this through a organization or group, but myself. I found the website through searching the internet and emailed the hospital directly.

2. What are you trying to achieve by donating your time to Arrow Web Hospital?

I wanted to gain experience of how healthcare works in a different country, to practice my medicine, and to feel that I am helping people in the community.

3. Why is this important to you and the community of Kayole-Soweto?

It is important for me to feel that I am contributing to the community here, and to improve my medicine. I know that the children in Kayole Soweto have enjoyed playing with me outside the hospital, and I hope that I have made a contribution to the treatment of some of the adults that have visited the hospital too!

4. How long have you been volunteering for Arrow Web Hospital?

A month. I would have liked to stay for longer though!

5. What was the motivating factor that led you to Arrow Web Hospital?

I wanted to be part of a large hospital which was making a positive contribution to the community, where I could meet lots of patients, and see lots of different diseases and procedures. When I came to look around Arrow, I found that it fulfilled all these criteria, and also that there was a really friendly atmosphere in the hospital, so I immediately felt at home there.

6. Tell us something about a key person/founder behind your decision to enter the medical field?

My father had a brain tumour when I was young, and consequently I spent a lot of time in hospitals and caring for him for 3 years. I think this is when I became interested in medicine, when I noticed how important the doctors and nurses that treated him were, both to him and to us.

7. Is there anything unique to how you are doing things? What’s your approach?

I don’t know if there is anything unique about how I am doing things. My approach is to try to be friendly with the patient and build a good relationship with them, and keep them as informed as possible.

8. Describe any highs and or lows your experience personally or the organization as a whole in day to day encounters with patient?

Personally, I often found it hard to communicate with the patients because problems with the language. I would have liked to have known more Swahilli, and not have had to rely on English. Also, as I still have 3 years of medicine left before I qualify, I have sometimes felt that I did not know enough medicine to be able to contribute to treating the patients as much as I would have liked. However, this also contributes to my high – I had never seen anyone deliver a baby before, and it was very satisfying to see a mother give birth for the first time!

9. Tell us a key frustration working in your field?

How the patients wait until they are very ill to visit the doctor, because they fear the cost of the treatment, and how they often struggle to get the money they need for the drugs, despite them being extremely cheap.

10. How can you advice other volunteers who want to give they time to volunteer at Arrow Web Hospital?

I would advise them to definitely do it! They should contact the hospital directly to try and arrange the dates of the placement. The hospital has been very helpful towards me in helping with accommodation, transport, and even assisting me to arrange trips to other parts of Kenya, so there is no need to go through an agency.