Kumi Hospital is a Private Not For Profit (PNFP) facility located in eastern Uganda, 300 km from Kampala. It is a rural hospital, which transformed from a leprosy centre to a general hospital in 1997.
The Hospital was founded by the Church Missionary Society in 1929 as a leprosarium in response to the need for specialised work among leprosy patients. Dr. Wiggins recognised this in 1927 after Sir Albert Cook had already treated many leprosy patients in 1909.
For many leprosy sufferers then, Kumi Leprosy Centre became the only place where they could live in community without being rejected, despised and discriminated. The disease leprosy then had a high social stigma, very deforming and had no hope of cure.
The only available treatment then was to hydnocarpus Oil injection (chulmoogra oil) an old Indian remedy. A clinical improvement was only attained in Tuberculoid leprosy but only temporary improvement in Lepromatous leprosy.
In the 1950’s the Sulphones were introduced and the treatment became easier, several leprosy treatment villages were built with the help of the local administrations of Teso, Lango, Bukedi, Sebei, Acholi and Karamoja.
In 1952 a Leprosy Assistants Training School was started to train Leprosy Assistants. In the seventies, with the change of attitude, a move was made to stop segregation. Leprosy treatment villages were closed including Wiggins Boarding School) and Leprosy Control was integrated into the Medical service. In 1983 the cure for Leprosy was found to be Multi Drug Therapy (MDT)
Over the years the Leprosy centre provided much noted care for Leprosy sufferers, care, treatment and rehabilitation.
The years 1985 – 1992 were years of conflict, which engulfed the Teso region. This Hospital suffered total collapse both in infrastructure and services due to the war.
By the end of the war in 1992, the Hospital lay in a sorry state, vandalised and turned into a Camp for IDP’s. The water-carrying infrastructure was also vandalized and so was the Farm that was looted of over 1000 heads of cattle. The hospital still bears the scars and the legacy of that dark period.
Since 1997,Kumi Leprosy centre by resolutions of the Board transformed to a General Hospital now Kumi Hospital. The Hospital has since then undergone major structural development, upgrading of facilities and infrastructure
To date the Hospital has grown to a 350-bed capacity providing a wide range of integrated services including Medical, surgical, rehabilitative, Primary health care, Community Based rehabilitation programmes and other specialised services such as AMREF Flying Doctor service offers VVF repairs and Reconstructive surgery. The Hospital also maintains a referral status for leprosy and TB in Eastern Uganda.
Kumi Hospital has now established itself as a preferred destination for the poor, for those who have not been reached, a centre for hope, healing and wholeness bearing witness to Christ.
Currently we are providing the following services in categories: -
1. Free services:
Leprosy management + care including socio-economic rehabilitation.
TB treatment
Immunization
Blood transfusion
HIV counselling and Testing (HIV Counselling and Testing)
Anti-Retroviral Therapy (ART)
Nutritional Rehabilitation
Vesico Vaginal Fistula repairs
Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission of HIV/AIDS (PMTCT)
Antenatal care services.
2. Highly subsidized services
Reconstructive & Rehabilitative services for the physically disabled.
Epilepsy treatment
Cataract surgery
Malaria treatment for 0-5years
Normal delivery
Admissions to Children ward
Very poor/very old patients
Internally Displaced persons
3. Other services:
General Hospital services (OPD + In Patients)
Fabrication and fitting of artificial limbs
Provision of Orthopaedic appliances and footwear.
X-Ray services
Ultrasound scanning
Laboratory services
PHC (Static + Out-reaches)
Community Based Rehabilitation (CBR)
Support Supervision of Lower Health Units
In-service training of Health Workers on Leprosy
Service gaps
Mental health services
Sources of funds:
Government of Uganda 16%
The leprosy Mission International (TLMI) 14%
Christoffel Blinden Mission (CBM) 22%
User fees 37%
Donations 8%
FOAG 1%
Projects (PEPFAR) 2%
GOVERNMENT SUPPORT
Government support to Kumi Hospital is in the form of:
PAF funding
Posting staff
Support supervision
Quality Assuarance
Other partners:
Kumi Hospital collaborates with many partners both International and local.
Some extend their support on continuous basis and others are intermittent.
The Farm
The Hospital has a Farm with 1100 hectares of land, which used to be a diary Farm. Since the insurgency, the Farm collapsed. What is left of it is the land and a few animals. To date the farm operates with minimal semi-skilled staff and does not contribute to the running of the Hospital.
Strengths of the Hospital
Most of the Hospital infrastructure has been renovated and upgraded making it suitable for rehabilitation work.
Flying Doctor service providing specialized services to the rural poor.
A registered functional airstrip.
Dedicated and diligent staff
Plenty of land for expansion
Good will from Govt. and our partners
Availability of Resident Orthopaedic surgeon and an Opthalmologist, plus two General Surgeons.
Availability of a Three year strategic Plan (2009- 2011)
Challenges:
In spite of the significant gains we have made over the years, there are many challenges facing the Hospital.
Staff Attrition
The Hospital is finding it very difficult to retain the staff. Most staff are leaving for better employment terms especially in the Government service and NGO’s
Factors contributing to this include: -
Low salaries, versus the salary increase for Health workers in Govt service and NGO’s
Very heavy workload
Opportunities for further training and Carrier development
Career development
This has resulted in the Hospital recruiting semi-skilled staff. The Nursing department is worst affected .
Water and Sanitation
The absence of running water was the single most difficult problem to solve.
Thank God, the Charitable Fund (TCF) Australia came to our rescue. As of now , we have running water in the hospital from a nearby lake Bisina,9 Km. Away.
NSSF Debt
The Hospital has a huge NSSF debt of 98 Million. This was inherited from the days of insurgency, the debt has gradually accumulated and recently there was a threat to take the Hospital to Court. Currently we have no way of paying that debt.
Poor state of Staff accommodation
Most of the houses in the Hospital need renovation. The houses have suffered many years of no maintenance. There is need for renovation of houses and more accommodation for staff as the services get expanded.
Lack of equipment
The Hospital is lacking most equipment.
Urgently needed is anaesthetic equipment especially for patient monitoring (Pulse oximeters, ECG, anaesthetic machines, operating lights, oxygen concentrators).
In the laboratory we urgently need haematology analyzer and Chemistry analyzer.
Capacity building
The Hospital has started a scheme of sponsoring Doctors for further Training in order to uplift the standard of care.
To date we have trained one Orthopaedic Surgeon (with support from CBM), one more is in Training at Makerere University .We ,however, still need to train a Gynaecologist, Paediatrician, Physician, another Orthopaedic surgeon, Plastic surgeon and anaetheologist. We do not have funding for all these.
Currently we rely on Flying Doctors and Visiting Doctors who are attracting a lot of patients. We encourage volunteer s to come and work in the Hospital.
The Way forward
Kumi Hospital is determined to be “A place of excellence in Rehabilitation Medicine and disability care” To do this we need to develop a critical mass of people to ensure quality, research and development and to strengthen CBR.
This calls for a lot of support. There is need to start school for Physiotherapists in future since there is a big shortage of this cadre countrywide.
Conclusion
There are so many things to thank God for in Kumi Hospital, which shows that, we bear Christian witness in service
The blind can see
The lame can walk
We have reached those who were not reached eg. Vesico Vaginal Fistula patients
We thank God for the fact in spite of all our difficulties; all staff are motivated to perform their duties with love and compassion towards the patients and clients. The interdenominational fellowship that exists in the Hospital provides an opportunity to ensure that pastoral care is administered to the sick according to the patient’s faith.
As our mission affirms, we seek to bear witness to Jesus Christ by deed and word and minister in HIS name. We are holistic in our approach, always seeking to restore hope. There is a strong family value that seeks to hold firmly our Christian faith and share it in appropriate ways.
More poor people can be reached with your support. Nothing is too small for Kumi Hospital!
Thank you,
Dr. John Opolot
Medical Director
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