Engineering in 2008-9

Paul Splint
volunteer engineer, the Netherlands

In November 2008 I had the pleasure to represent the St Francis Hospital Medical Support Group again and to travel to Katete in the east of Zambia for the fifth time.

The Parkinson family, dr. Shelagh (medical superintendent) and husband Ian (manager) and all their children were on leave in UK, reason for which Dr Bagshaw from Australia and I found ourselves committed to the task to help tackle all the many daily problems.

During my 11 weeks’ stay, up till the end of January 2009 I encountered as usually plenty of technical issues and projects in which the human element also played an important role. My wife Arlet, the MSG secretary, arrived shortly before Christmas at Katete. (She travelled at her own expense.) I met her early in the morning at Lusake airport to inform her about the 20 people we were to have for dinner the next day and could she please arrange something for this big Christmas do?

My closest colleagues at SFH were Mathew Mwale, assistant manager, Ruben Phiri, chief Workshop, Lucy Mackie, project engineer, John Western, the new technical manager.

I was able to inform John Western about the many technical problems in this big mission hospital. At my request he organised together with Mathew Mwale the long overdue maintenance to the drainage system on the hospital grounds and the cropping of trees and bushes before the rains would start. That helped, because during the first rainstorm, end of November, the damage was limited to a lightly damaged roof of a house and fallen tree of which the inside had been eaten by termites.

Another problem, of a hygienic nature, was the hospital rubbish pit outside the grounds. It was extremely full. A new pit has been dug, the old rubbish dump has been covered with top soil and the lot was fenced in. Katete Council agreed with this solution.

There are various building projects in progress: the restoration of two small staff houses, new building of 2 rondavels and 3 staff houses, building of 2 big septic tanks and cesspit, and the restoration of a student hostel. Not all these are MSG projects, but the technical staff does take part in them. Apart from this I designed a roof and had it built for the space next to the mortuary to protect the relatives from the sum and rain.

After some emails between England and SFH we found out where two new boreholes were to

be drilled. These boreholes will be connected to the main water tank and will help to overcome water shortages in the dry season.

The donation of dental equipment was installed in a refurbished treatment room and it seems to me that it must be a real pleasure now to go to the dentist at SFH.

The children’s ward “”Mbusa Wabwino” the good shepherd is overcrowded: two patients in the bed and mother under it on the floor. The paediatricians make overtime to provide the necessary care. Besides malaria, pneumonia, burns etc., kwashiorkor/marasmus are predominant and a combination of these is fatal to many a child. Unfortunately children often arrive at SFH when it is already too late. People often leave it too long, also because of lack of money.

After a delay of 4 months due to several delays in delivery of the new truck the building of the new children’s ward has finally started.

Arlet spent the day making contacts and lists of necessary items, and set up a completely new line of approach for the bedsponsor plan in close collaboration with Mrs. Chambule.

The H/L beds of the Tergooiziekenhuizen (Tergooi Hospitals) were greatly appreciated.

Apart from work there is not much to do at Katete, but together, Zambian and expatriate, it is possible to organise some entertainment. A culinary party under guidance of cookery expert Dr Joop, for instance. Everybody brought a dish, I saw to the mango wine and a good time was had by all.