Activity Update
Among the many positive things that have happened since
our May Newsletter are the two work days at the Independence Regional Health
Center in order to get items ready to ship in the first 40 foot sea
container to Addis Ababa. We’d like to list the names of the many
volunteers who participated, but refrain from doing so for fear we might overlook
some one. Suffice it to say that we are
very appreciative of the way the Christian, Muslim and Russian communities have
responded to our calls for help.
Our two Ethiopian/American advisors, Sisay Shimelis and
Dr. Akeza Teame, have made visits to Kansas City to help with fund raising
efforts and to prioritize which medical equipment should be in the first
shipment.
One of the best items of good news is the fact that we
now have almost enough cash on hand to cover total shipping costs for the first
shipment! As anyone who does fund
raising can attest, “momentum” is the name of the game -- and it appears we
certainly have it -- and all praise goes to those of you who are receiving this
Newsletter. YOU are the secret to the Foundation’s success.
Our next two immediate tasks are: 1) Pack and ship the
first 40 foot sea container and, 2)
Continue our fund raising efforts so that we can ship a second container full
in the relatively near future.
Fortunately, we have more than a sufficient quantity of medical
equipment and supplies to fill three or four additional 40 foot sea containers.
We are also very fortunate in being able, at least for the time being, to store
the used medical equipment in the North Tower of HCA’s Independence Regional
Health Center free of charge. If they
find a buyer for the building we’ll need to seek other storage
alternatives. If needed, Hunt Midwest
Underground will lend us a hand.
Our next work day is scheduled for Saturday, July 23rd
starting at 8:00 a.m. at the North Tower of the Independence Regional Health
Center, 1509 W. Truman Road, Independence, Missouri. With the exception of the actual loading
of equipment from the loading dock into the sea container, most of the work
will be medium to very light with regard to lifting. Thus we can use just about
everyone who wishes to lend a hand. We
need help in keeping the elevators operating at optimum speed and to help our
treasurer, Norm Burkart, identify and estimate value of items to be listed on
the shipping manifest. We also need
several people to help stuff used, but clean, clothing into plastic bags of
different sizes to be used as packing material.
On Loading Day [July 23rd] we will have
at least three elevators in the North Tower at our disposal. However, we will
have an added problem of having to use a second bank of elevators in the South
Tower to get us down one extra story. We
also need people to help coordinate information between movers, packers, etc.
We look forward to seeing you at 8:00 a.m. on Saturday,
July 23rd! If all goes
well we hope to be done no later than early afternoon.
The worst sin towards our fellow creatures
is not to hate them, but to be indifferent to them: That’s the essence of
inhumanity. – George Bernard
Shaw (1858-1950) The Devil’s Disciple, act 2.
St. Yared Hospital, Phase I
The Foundation
recently transferred $5,000 to Addis Ababa to be used towards the final
construction of a 12 bed medical clinic, lab, radiology & ultrasound room,
telecenter conference room, doctors lounge, five offices, six exam rooms, six
restrooms and showers, reception area with record storage, a nurse’s stand and
a reception area for patients’ families.
It will be named “St. Yared Hospital, Phase I.” and will be the
recipient of the first 40-ft container of medical equipment which will arrive
around the latter part of September or early October. If all goes as planned, the clinic should be receiving its first
patients early in the new year.
“Phase I” indicates that the clinic is the first step
towards our larger goal of building a modern 200+ bed hospital which will be
called St. Yared General Hospital.
The clinic will also serve as an official field unit
associated with the South Carolina University hospital in the study of
infectious diseases of which Ethiopia has many: schistosomiasis (bilharzia),
HIV/AIDS, malaria, menigococcal meningitis, yellow fever, hepatitis, intestinal
worms, etc.
“St. Yared” [English: “Jared”] was a Deacon, writer and
musician in the Sixth Century who became a saint of the Ethiopian Orthodox
[Coptic] Christian Church to which 35 to 40% of Ethiopians belong.
As a youth he was a mediocre pupil unable to memorize his
school work. He went into the desert to
the tomb of a revered cleric to ponder his weaknesses. There, he witnessed a caterpillar which
failed six times in trying to climb a tree; but on the seventh trial it
struggled with all its might and was able to reach its destination. Impressed,
he returned to his teacher with stronger determination and a greatly improved
memory.
He was noted for his sweet voice and, in time, became
Ethiopia’s first composer of church music.
He said he learned his music from God and pioneered a shift in worship
from a pattern of liturgies and chants murmured in a low voice to a vital
hymnody of joy. Some of his hymns are
used to this day.
At an early age he became fluent in both Hebrew and Greek
which helped him become a noted biblical scholar and teacher.
It is our desire that St. Yared’s spirit of adventure,
determination, willingness to learn new concepts, and challenge old patterns of
thought will characterize the construction and operation of a future St. Yared
General Hospital in Addis Ababa.
Your help in this worthy task is warmly solicited and
greatly appreciated.
Quality of Health Care in Ethiopia
[The following is based on an
editorial written by Enawgaw Mehari, M.D. which appeared in the February 28,
2003 issue of the Addis Tribune. – Ed.]
Ethiopians have
longed for better health and modern medicine since Emperor Lebene Diengel in
the 15th century. Unfortunately,
quality has gone from bad to worse. The
availability and distribution of pharmaceutical products is largely unregulated
and, in many ways, operated in a manner that is not in the patient’s best
interest.
The Ethiopian public deserves optimal quality of care
within our available means. However, it
is not so much a question of means, but more a question of doing the right
things right, thus more a management issue.
Ethiopia is not poor. It has
great mineral resources, the home of coffee and anything can grow here. It is
the cradle of civilization, the home of the Nile and much more. Our challenge is poor management.
Today, thousands of Ethiopians are dying every day from
HIV/AIDs and very little education is given to the Ethiopian people. We cannot confirm HIV infection as we don’t
have the technological means, nor doctors formally trained in HIV medicine.
This is s shame! There is no sex
education. Most young people don’t know
anything about sexually transmitted diseases.
Most women have no idea of how to look for breast cancer.
People say brain drain is the issue. To my mind, leaving the country is no big
deal as long as people give back and become ambassadors of hope for
others. To give back must be a
responsibility that every Ethiopian should carry on his/her shoulder. Unfortunately, for the most part, the
response from the diaspora has been more lip service than substance. There are many who are successfully situated
outside Ethiopia from whom we would like to see more enthusiasm and
support.
Failure to address these challenges will be
catastrophic. Our future is dependent on
our quality of health care. A successful
nation is a product of a healthy society.
Our development as a nation will depend on the care we provide to our
citizens.
Alarming Facts
* “There’s maybe 200,000 people dying of
HIV/AIDS, leaving behind at least 200,000 orphans every year.” – UNICEF
Director for Ethiopia, Bjorn Ljungqvist.
* In Ethiopia alone there are up to 4.5
million orphans – higher than the total population of some African states.
* Ethiopia is more vulnerable because of
extreme poverty which is worse than in many other places.
