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Like every hospital anywhere in the world, Mvumi costs a lot of money to run. At the end of each month salaries for the 151 doctors, nurses, cooks, cleaners secretaries and guards have to be found together with money to pay for drugs, equipment, and electricity bills. This alone comes to about 11 million shillings (£11,000) per month. The hospital administration make every effort to run the hospital efficiently to keep costs to a minimum so that treatment and care can be given to the community at an affordable cost, but paying the monthly bills is a constant struggle. The majority of running costs are obtained from fees (43%) for patient's treatment and Government grants (17%), but this money is barely sufficient to cover day to day expenses. The hospital is dependent on external funding to pay for capital projects such as building programmes, to buy new equipment and also to be able to offer salaries which will attract well qualified doctors and nurses to this rural hospital. In short, the hospital is in constant need of money to maintain and, if possible, increase the quality of the services it offers. Below are details of our appeal for donations to help subsidise medical treatment during the famine and an appeal for help to renovate the hospital water system. If you would like to find out more information about Mvumi or ways in which you can help please contact David McKelvey.

Due to the drought and ensuing famine in 1997 Mvumi Mission and many of the surrounding villages had little or no harvest. Because of the severe food shortage finding money to buy food has been a necessity amongst the local population. As a consequence many people have been forced to make a choice between paying for medical care or buying food. Already in June 1997 some families were only eating once every three days. Although the 1997/1998 rainy season started early with rain coming to Mvumi in November 1997, the rains were excessive leading to flooding, and their was been a plague of armyworms and shield bugs which severely damaged the years crops. Thus the harvest for 1998 also turned out to be poor despite the rain. The rains for 1998-199 have already started late, which will shorten the growing season and reduce crop yields so the 1999 harvest is likely to be poor too. Because of the continuing food insecurity, paying for medical treatment is a low priority for the people. Many people postpone a trip to the doctor or do not go at all with predictable effects on suffering and mortality. To alleviate this problem the Diocese of Central Tanganyika launched an appeal in 1997-1998 to raise money to subsidise medical treatment and to pay for patients and their relatives food in the hospital until food supplies improved. The Hunger Fund was a huge success as described by the hospital doctors. The fund was able to subsidise medical treatment and food in the hospital in 1997-98 leading to unprecendented numbers of patients attending the outpatient's department. Due to the continuing lack of food the fund is being extended through 1999 until the food situation improves. If you would like to help please send a donation to the Friends of Mvumi.

Thanks to a donation from a Dutch Charity the hospital now has a new borehole yielding up to 30,000 litres of water per hour, which should provide enough water for the hospital's immediate needs. Rainwater is still collected for the production of intravenous fluids, eye drops and for use in the hospital sterilisers. The water distribution system in the hospital is still in need of renovation however. Now that the problems of supply have been overcome the focus has shifted to the water distribution system. The whole water system is in urgent need of renovation and work has already started using funds supplied by the Friends of Mvumi. To progress further, funds are required to continue the renovation of the distribution network. Can you help?

Previous Page | Mvumi Hospital Home Page | Donations | Friends of Mvumi