AKAMBA HEALTH CENTRE
Tei Wa Yesu known locally as Gai Clinic has now grown to become the Akamba Health Centre. It is the largest health facility in the area catering as it does for more than 25,000 of the local inhabitants.
It is supported by a restricted fund within AAF which was set up by one of our trustees Dr. James Buckle, who gives regular talks and presentations to various clubs and organisations to raise funds. Dr. Buckle travels to Kenya every year to work at the clinic and is often accompanied by other UK health workers who spend their "holiday" giving of their expertise for the benefit of the patients. On each trip AAF purchases about £3,000 worth of drugs and other supplies from Nairobi, and hiring the necessary vehicles and drivers, transports the consignment safely to Gai.
These supplies are planned with the clinic staff to replenish the pharmacy shelves for both the routine clinical needs and also to respond to any new particular health needs.
Dr Buckle's connection with Gai Clinic dates from 2002 when he and Dr.Rosie Crane, then a medical student paid a first visit to Rural Kenya and saw at first hand the need for medical and administrative help at the facility. They both joined AAF to raise funds and work toward improving the health of the Akamba people, and now have become trustees.
Rosie has a keen interest in children's health and in tropical diseases and has extended the "Harambee" scheme to offer afforable healthcare to the poor of the area. She also organised a scheme in conjunction with "African Medical and Research Foundation" and "World Swim Against Malaria" to provide long life treated Mosquito nets to every home in 23 villages (a total of 3700 nets).
Over the past few years many major projects at Gai have been funded by AAF, including :-
- Construction of new patient toilets.
- Refurbishment of the clinic gates and restoration of ward and kitchen facilities for the patients. (This work involved youths from the local polytechnic whose labours were paid for by the provision of a new plastic water tank for the college ~ thus stopping a 2 mile trek each day for the pupils to collect water.
- Funds have also been spent on providing power to the clinic initially repairing solar panels and more recently connecting to the mains electricity supply to provide power for lamps, fridges, etc. (which will also need to be funded from donations!)
- Similarly the Clinic is at present being connected to a main suppy to receive water pumped from thr river Tana.
- Sponsoring the training and employment of an HIV counsellor to work with the clinic; as more than 20% of the population are HIV positive the problem is of major concern to all. The clinic is rapidly becoming involved with the terminally ill AIDS patients, so work is being carried out to provide wards for hospice type care.
- Construction is soon to start in Gai village on a school for children with special needs
In 2005, Dr. Buckle and his daughterKate established a “mosquito net project” whereby AAF will fund 50% of the cost; to try to prevent the repeat admissions for malaria of many of the children. So far this seems to have been a major success, as not only has the admission/ illness rate been reduced, but many parents have attended for immunization schedules adding to the health benefits for their children.
Most recently, fundraising has allowed us to purchase a 4 wheel drive vehicle for the clinic to allow them to visit outlying villages to offer:- an immunization programme for the children. ~ Health education to all ~ especially about the HIV/AIDS problem. ~ Offer ambulance transport for the 100km. journey (should it be needed) to the nearest hospital for surgical cases.
This support to the largest clinic in the region is making a huge difference in an area of nearly 10,000 square kilometres, and coupled with our “Harambee” subsidised health cards, it is helping the Akamba people here to lead much healthier lives.
