Saint Francis' Hospital Katete, Zambia
Saint Francis' HospitalKatete, Zambia

Rennovations - 2006

 

Ian Parkinson

(SFH Adminstration Manager)

You will know St Francis is a large second level hospital so a great deal of effort goes into maintaining the infrastructure and site. Management has been successful in attracting a significant amount of funding over recent years for new building and the renovation of existing infrastructure.

 

Medical Wards

 

St Augustine and St Monica wards were completed in 1952. Gradually they had become run down and in need of renovation, particularly the ablutions. We managed to obtain funding from De Tweede Jas in the Netherlands to renovate the ablutions and install solar powered hot water. It soon became clear that it would be better to rehabilitate both wards completely. Our proposal to upgrade the wards was successful in obtaining funding from Wilde Ganzen in the Netherlands. The patients were transferred to the former TB wards, since TB patients are discharged much sooner than previously, receiving treatment at home. The wards were gutted including the removal of the roof. The basic shell of the building has remained apart from a small extension. We found the original structure was very well and accurately built; a testimony to the builders of the time led by Hubert Jebbett MBE and Swithun Banda. Internal changes have been made to provide six-bedded bays, also single and double rooms with toilets and showers.

After the roof was removed the wall heights were adjusted in preparation for the new roof, which was to have metal trusses instead of the old wooden ones. This was one of the major components of the work and was seriously delayed by difficulties with the metal suppliers. The roof was completed in March 2005. The old wooden door and window frames were replaced with metal ones. We bricked up the windows between the main ward and the khonde, to give greater privacy and with negligible effect on the lighting. High ceilings have been installed. We hope this will make it easier for the medical and nursing staff to hear during heavy rainstorms! All walls have been re-plastered and recently terrazzo flooring was laid. All the plumbing is new, as are the electrical installations allowing improved lighting and additional power points. Outside new septic tanks and soakaways have been constructed.

 

It has been a large and challenging project. There have been times when we have felt we had bitten off more than we can chew, but the project is now coming to a close, with patients soon to be moved back in to the wards. We hope that the result will be a greatly improved environment with increased flexibility that will last for many years.

Housing

 

St Francis’ has a large stock of staff housing. This remains one of the key factors in attracting and retaining staff. As a result management has given priority to attract funding to build new houses and to upgrade existing ones.

 

In 2001 two new houses were built between the New Square and the Relatives Shelters using funds from Guernsey Overseas Aid. In 2002 two more houses were built in the same area with funds from The Medial Support Group, Netherlands. All these houses were the same 3-bedroom design and are now occupied by Zambian staff, a Clinical Instructor, Personnel Officer, Registered Nurse and a Registered Midwife. As a part of the same project, The Medical Support Group, funded construction of a large new house for the Executive Director. This was built facing the Mphangwe Hills near to the main entry road into the hospital - ‘first on the right’.

 

In 2003 another workgroup from Jersey came to help build 3 new houses. They brought much enthusiasm and were determined to finish one house within their 3-week stay! Their enthusiasm wasn’t dampened by a visit to the local immigration officer who was inquiring who the ’14 Jessy Contractors’ were. Even when the building foreman tested their resolve by making them knock down and rebuild a wall, they just got on with it. The houses were built to the east of the New Square, and although none were completed within three weeks, they were finished in good time.

 

Since 2002 there has been a project to upgrade the ‘high density’ staff housing. Many of these houses in The Street and Chisale Road were in poor condition and also rather small. Nowadays two bedrooms are not enough for many families with several children and invariably other dependants. Six houses, including most of the houses in the Street, were upgraded with funding from the Beit Trust which has assisted the hospital with capital projects over very many years. An additional house has also been upgraded with funds from Trocaire in Ireland.

 

As each house is different and in varying condition, each upgrade was individually planned. In general, the end result has been a 3-bedroomed house, with flushing toilet instead of pit latrine, all new electrics and plumbing, new roof with metal trusses and purlins and fully decorated. The project has been very popular with the occupants and we will try to raise funds to upgrade further houses.

Water

 

Those of you who have spent time at St Francis’ may have experienced problems with water supply. In recent years, particularly towards the end of the dry season, there have been supply problems resulting in rationing and periods without water, particularly for the houses. Increase in the number of houses and improved plumbing has led to increased demand... However, some of the boreholes were in poor condition, many of the submersible pumps had failed and the ring mains were old, with pipe work constricted due to rust and deposits. The water tanks were leaking, particularly the top tanks and the main pump room had many failed valves and leaking pumps.

 

Work has now been in progress for three years with funds coming from SIMAVI in the Netherlands. The initial phase of the work involved sinking a new borehole and cleaning out an existing one. Several new submersible pumps were purchased and so now more boreholes are working. However, improvement has been partly negated by the frequent failure of pumps caused by irregular mains power supply. Apart from regular power cuts; there is low voltage for much of the day, often at around 190 volts but sometimes as low as 150. We are now faced with the choice of protecting the pumps against fluctuating voltage with the result that they do not work during much of the day, or risk having no protection and eventual failure of the pump. Also work has continued with cleaning out and repair work to the various water tanks. New circulation pumps have been purchased and installed. Most recently the ring mains around the hospital have been replaced. The project continues.

We are deeply grateful to the Dutch Medical Support Group which has established links with organisations in the Netherlands, helping greatly with monitoring and reporting progress in addition to the very generous funding they continued to raise themselves. This in itself attracts significant financial support from the Dutch Government.

 

Also valued greatly is the help from the Beit Trust and from the Channel Islands, Guernsey and Jersey.

 

Congratulations are due to our artisans and engineers who have undertaken most of the work themselves.

Bezoek ook onze Nederlandse zuster-website

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