Bishop Benon Magezi reviewing the impact of the floods

Bishop Benon Magezi, Bishop of North Kigezi Diocese, visited Kisiizi with the Rubiriizi Archdeacon Ven. Canon Elias Mbangi to see for himself the impact of the flooding on Kisiizi.

Today we had a consignment of mattresses, blankets and bedsheets from the Office of the Prime Minister in response to the loss of linen etc in the floods.

further subsidence on the side of the channel opposite the generator house

View from hill above Kisiizi showing widened river in valley next to the hospital

there are still piles of earth, silt and debris from the emergency excavation work

The digger at work with Ahumuza Centre seen behind

Kisiizi has been buzzing as in addition to the usual patients and attendants and staff moving around with clinical care, a range of visitors have come to help us with relief work and efforts to minimise the risk of a recurrence of the major flooding we have had.

We are grateful to Uganda National Roads Association for the loan of a mechanical digger which has been working to create an extra drainage channel running along the valley behind the hospital to avoid water building up in future. The Cabinet Minister of Disaster Preparedness has promised to help with the cost of the fuel for the digger.

view from the Generator House access bridge

It runs in front of the new Ahumuza Centre which happily was not damaged in the floods.  We will need to construct new access bridges and paths and put in place safety fences and hedges to avoid patients falling in the channel and then make the environment as pleasant as possible for patients and staff to enjoy.

One of the palm trees is a casualty…

A donation of blankets and food for those clearing debris was received from local families Dr Francis, Dr Ian, Martha and Rev Joshua

Channel near the Generator House with undermining of the embankments

emergency shelving erected in the Laundry

IiiInfrastructure support services such as the laundry and power house have been affected but the Staff and volunteers have worked hard to restore as many services as possible…

The faithful Gilkes hydro-electricity generator is currently keeping the Hospital going

THANK YOU SO MUCH TO ALL WHO HAVE SENT US MESSAGES OF ENCOURAGEMENT, PRAYERS AND SUPPORT.

Please see Kisiizi Partners website for more information on how to stay involved with the remarkable story of Kisiizi… and don’t miss Friends of Kisiizi Day on 7th October in Reading!

“WHAT ON EARTH IS GOING ON??!”

Damage to the causeway leading to staff accommodation

FLOODING CRISIS – THE ONGOING STORY

inside Children’s ward

==================================

11th September 2017:  Kisiizi has been badly hit by serious floods that have caused a power blackout as the generator house is affected.  Water supplies for drinking are also interrupted and some staff housing is cut off from the main hospital area.

Behind maternity

the photo above shows the roundabout area at the centre of the in-patient zone illustrating the magnitude of the problem.  Please pray for all the Staff as they seek to care for patients in such trying circumstances.  Maintaining clinical care will be really difficult and there will be major expenses incurred from the damage sustained. Thank you for your prayers and support.

here is a video clip of the main road into Kisiizi (from Kabale side) showing torrential water flow down the hill…

The bend seen at the beginning of the clip is where our main water supply pipe passes carrying drinking water from a capped spring to the reservoir tanks.  This supply has been disrupted

We are grateful to Kisiizi Partners for setting up a mydonate page for any who wish to help financially towards the costs of dealing with the crisis…

https://mydonate.bt.com/fundraisers/kisiizifloodappeal

Thank you so much.

HUGE THANKS ALREADY TO THOSE WHO HAVE SENT MESSAGES OF ENCOURAGEMENT AND DONATIONS TO THE APPEAL…

below is a youtube link to a NTV Ugandan news clip with Alex Kakama the HR Manager in Kisiizi

Kisiizi Power Ltd worker checking wiring

Many people have worked hard to restore services ranging from the power to the water supply, ward areas etc and to clear the mud and debris carried by the flood waters… even prisoners were conscripted in to help clear up as seen in the photo above!

just below the generator house a main cable was displaced and is seen suspended

Sr Kate surveying clean up in Children’s Ward

houses in the trading centre just below Kisiizi were impacted too

house near Kisiizi during the torrential flood

The main cable taking power to the community east of Kisiizi was lifted off its pylon supports that were washed away

Kisiizi rainscape

The Minister of Disaster Preparedness with the Medical Superintendent discussing plans for relief work

A mechanical digger loaned by Uganda National Roads Authority to support Kisiizi in deepening water channels

Water levels have subsided and the central roundabout area in the In-Patient zone is now seen having been flooded a week before

note the water mark indicating the height of the water/mud/debris in the generator house

This computer in Children’s Ward office was on a platform to raise it from the floor but still not high enough to prevent water and dirt damaging it

But we can still have fun!

Erosion of the wall of the channel

FEEDBACK FROM MR. HERBERT KWIKIRIZA, MANAGER OF KISIIZI HOSPITAL POWER LIMITED:

mud inside a cable junction box in the Generator house

The problems started at around 6:00pm on the 10th of September 2017
when an unprecedented amount of water came from Nyakishenyi hills
carrying rubbish, logs and boulders. Some of the materials being
carried got stuck in the way under the bridge to the power house past
surgical ward toilets forcing water to go over the bridge and getting
into the power house and also breaking down one of the pillars
supporting the bridge. Some of the materials that managed to pass
under the bridge got stopped by the pipe enclosing an HV cable
connecting to Nyarushanje section of the overhead net work and crosses
the river near the Gilkes generator tail race outlet, being supported
by pillars on both sides of the river about 2 feet high.  So much
pressure was exerted on the pipe and cable as the water tried to forge
its way downstream until the pillars broke down and the cable pulled
off the poles and eventually from the terminals falling into the
water. This caused a short circuit that triggered the generator to
shut down.  The surge arrestors were damaged and the poles moved
about 20 degrees from their upright position.

When the shut down happened it was not possible for any one to cross
to the power house to start a generator because the whole of the lower
part of the hospital compound was engulfed in water and mud. So for
about 45 minutes no one could get to the powerhouse. When finally the
water receded and the electricians were able to get into the power
house, they discovered mud about one and half feet deep had been
deposited and the ossberger generator partially submerged. Plan B was
to run the Gilkes to supply the Hospital and wait for the next day to
do the cleaning and assessment of any damage that could have been
caused.  Sadly the  Gilkes could not run because of a short circuit
that had been caused by water entering one of the inspection  chambers
on the hospital ring circuit, and since it was already dark it was not
possible to get this traced and fixed.

The biggest challenge now was
how to cater for the intensive baby care unit in  which the sick
babies are mostly dependent on oxygen concentrators and  incubators
and the only option remaining was deploying the small petrol
generators. Unfortunately their capacity  was not sufficient for all
the equipment that was connected at that time and as a result some
three babies lost their lives that night. The next day,  we cleaned
the power house, straightened the poles and reconnected the HV cable
temporarily supported way above the river so it is not easy for water
to reach it should it flood again. Everything was  thoroughly cleaned
in the power house and dried and we were able to restart the ossberger
yesterday the 12th of September at about 1:30pm.

About two hours later we discovered the gear box oil was leaking
profusely from the turbine side of the gear box shaft. When contacted
Gideon directed us to an oil filter in the cooling system that we
discovered was badly clogged. After cleaning it we were able to rerun
the generator and we are back on line. Thanks to every one for praying
and supporting us.

There was great excitement on the playing fields of Kisiizi Hospital Primary School as the Guest of Honour, Dr. Diana Atwiine, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health, arrived by helicopter for the Grand Opening of the new purpose-built Ahumuza Centre for patients with mental illness.

After a hymn of celebration and a prayer of dedication by Bishop Patrick Tugume, recently retired Bishop of North Kigezi, plaques were unveiled to commemorate the day and to remember the life of Jamie Devaney in whose memory the new Ahumuza Centre was built.  A ribbon was cut and the VIP guests toured the Centre and then the Guest of Honour cut a cake with Jamie’s parents, Avril and Jim Devaney.

The Guest of Honour then visited the Hydro-electricity generator, the Imaging Department with the new ultrasound machine donated by Toshiba via our friends in Chester, the Mothers’ Waiting Home and the Laboratory before returning to the Primary School Hall for the rest of the programme.

This included a song of welcome by the Kisiizi primary school, a cultural dance by the Nyakishenyi Mental Health Association and a speech “A vision is born” by Dr. Lionel Mills, former Medical Superintendent who described a group going out into the community decades ago on St. Luke’s day.  They had preached about the good news to the poor described by Jesus and afterwards a woman asked them if they could see her son who was confined in an out-building as he was out of control.  They took him back to Kisiizi and he improved with treatment and the team realised that there were many others with mental illness who needed help and the vision to establish mental health services in Kisiizi was born.

There followed a moving drama by Kisiizi staff and students depicting a patient with mental illness who fails to improve with traditional healing approaches but is restored by the Ahumuza staff team.

Dr. Shiela Ndyanabangi, from the Mental Health Desk at the Ministry of Health, spoke on Kisiizi Mental Health services from a national perspective with many words of great encouragement to Kisiizi and a promise of on-going full support for the programme.

Rev. Hugh Burgess, Chairperson of Jamie’s Fund, spoke about the extraordinary story of the setting up of Jamie’s Fund and the support provided for a vehicle for mental health community outreaches and for the new Ahumuza Centre.

The Medical Superintendent gave a presentation showing an overview of the services offered by Kisiizi with the theme “Care for the Vulnerable”.

Dr. Diana Atwiine as Guest of Honour gave a heartwarming final speech praising the work being done in Kisiizi and stating it is a model for other areas and hoped the principles could be shared widely.

She thanked the Staff and the members of Jamie’s Fund for all the work to achieve this great landmark and offered full support for the plans to further develop the community mental health and epilepsy services.

click on the link below to read the handout telling the extraordinary story of the Ahumuza Centre:

Ahumuza story revised

Link to Jamie’s Fund website:

http://www.Jamiesfund.org.uk

Visit by Helen Davies

In January 2016 we were delighted to welcome Mrs. Helen Davies, wife of the late Dr. John Davies who had served as Medical Superintendent in Kisiizi from 1967 – 1977. Helen came with her daughter Bronwen and friends Dr Shek and Peace Masiko.

The photo below shows Dr John Davies with a group of nursing staff at Kisiizi. It was good to remember his key contribution during a politically difficult period in the history of Uganda and we thank God for the faithfulness of John and his colleagues that stood firm under pressure and ensured the establishment of Kisiizi.

================================================================

Our new Chaplain, Rev. Joshua & Mrs. Jocelyn Bwebale

Reverend Joshua Bwebale joined our staff early in 2015.

================================================================

Friends of Kisiizi Day 2014 was held once again at Greyfriars Church in Reading on June 28th and proved a very encouraging and positive day. There was a good turnout of supporters with a wide range of interests in different aspects of Kisiizi life… for example small group topics included Hydro-electricity generating and the Goat Project!

Supporters of Kisiizi mental health services

Dr. Philip Haynes interviews staff who have recently worked as volunteers in Kisiizi

Click here for Feb 2014 Kisiizi Update news

================================================================

We are delighted to have been awarded a grant from the Uganda National Council for Science & Technology to further develop our Stre@mline IT programme over the next 12 months.  We understand there had been over 150 applications and in the end only 6 grants were made so we are very grateful and will work with our colleagues from Rimpscom to develop the software.  We will pilot it here in Kisiizi and then in other hospitals at Rugarama, Kabale and also Bwindi and Kagando we hope.

Click on the link below for an overview of the Stre@mline programme:

Stre@mline overview

See www.streamlinehealth.org for more information

WATER FILTER

We are grateful for support from Assist International enabling the installation of a water treatment plant to filter the supply to the hospital in-patient area.  This involves the filtration of water and the addition of very small quantities of chlorine to ensure we eliminate micro-organisms from the supply.

Jim Stunkel of Assist International hands over the key to Ezra & Black

We are expanding the waiting area verandah of our Out-Patient Clinic area to reduce the current congestion outside some of the rooms.

We are building a new accommodation block for Staff and appreciate support from Kisiizi Partners to help us do this.  We hope to be able to move those staff living outside the hospital into the hospital grounds when this and other refurbishment is completed.

aerial view of new accommodation block under construction

Kisiizi cares for large numbers of expectant mothers.  We run ante-natal clinics in Kisiizi and in the community sending out teams 5 times a month.  The facilites in Kisiizi have been very poor as the building used was one of the early clinics and was becoming delapidated and frankly embarrassing!

All Souls Church, London

So we are thrilled that friends in All Souls Church, Langham Place, London have generously provided support to allow us to refurbish this busy department.

The building has been refurbished with new ceilings incorporating skylights for natural light, new plaster on the walls and new terrazo tiled floors.  The latter offer huge improvement as they are much easier to clean than bare concrete.

The new facility offers significanly more space as well as a much more pleasant and hygienic environment for both patients and staff.  We will introduce a formal post-natal clinic and also “Mother & Baby Point” services for those with HIV.

So we send our thanks to all the members of All Souls who have contributed to help us do this important work.  We hope to complete the renovation and open for patient use in the next month.

UK FRIENDS OF KISIIZI DAY 2015
Thanks to all who attended a great day in Reading and for all the enthusiastic presentations and sharing. It has been a great encouragement to those who were there and to the Staff in Kisiizi.

It was great that Francis (In-charge Lab), Agness (Patient Safety Nurse) and Joseph (Biomedical Engineer) could be present. Thanks to Sarah Hoyle (pictured) who drove them to the venue and has worked very hard on co-ordinating their Commonwealth Fellowships visiting UK for a month.
================================================================