The New Laboratory Machines have arrived!

- March 01, 2014

New and exciting developments are happening at the hospital. This past week we finally got installed our Full Blood Count machine and Electrolyte machine that was donated by the Rotary Club of Sebastopol, CA. We hope to arrange the official turnover ceremony with the Harare Rotary club this week.

Let me tell you some exciting things that happened with these machines. We ordered and paid for the machines in early September. They promised to delivery them in 1 month. We waited 1 month and called, yes they are coming. Then we kept calling every week and we would get some excuse and a promise they were on the way.

In December when we got worried they were taking us and our $25,000 for a ride we called and said they better be delivered in 2 weeks or we wanted all our money back with interest!

Within a week our machines were delivered.

Then we had to call them several times about coming to set up the machines for us and teach our Lab guy how to do them. They finally came this Monday!

When the set-up guy came he told us that we actually got bigger and better machines because they delivered machines ordered by a private lab in Harare because our’s still hadn’t arrived from the manufacturer and they were scared of us! Thank you God!

Then a Laboratory guy over the whole Ministry of Health came to evaluate the lab and said--how did you know to buy those machines? When we asked what he meant he said that Ministry of Health had approved those machines and so they had the reagents only for those machines in stock at the National Pharmacy Stores and we would not have to buy the reagents but could order from there. So he was surprised to find we had those machines out here in the bush and that we had bought the correct ones for the government to help us with reagents. We told him “God knew” which ones we should get, as we had just picked the best ones for the money!

So for the first time in my 33 years here we can do a Full Blood Count, Electrolytes and Renal and Liver function tests! Wow this is going to be such a big help to us! We are so thankful for the Rotary club that provided this and that is helping us to save lives in Zimbabwe.

We had 2 medical students who arrived February 9 from Ohio State, Peter and Michael. They joined Scott who came a week earlier. They have been busy making rounds and seeing patients around the hospital. We had some interesting surgeries for them to help with.

Scott and Michael are leaving this weekend for home and Peter will be with us 1 more week before he leaves.

Rain continues and crops look so good. Many people grew tobacco in our area for a cash crop and the first sales which started a week ago were not as high as they thought. People were very disappointed, especially with this year being a bumper crop. Many people keep promising to come and pay their bill when they sell their tobacco and now we wonder!

In January this year, Zimbabwe adjusted their ART program to include people with CD4’s below 500 to be started on ART (before 350) and all pregnant and breastfeeding moms. This is keeping us so busy as we have so many people to catch up on starting, and takes up most of my day!

Last night we had a birthday party for Carolyn and Michael’s cousin, Nancy who lives with them. She is in Form 6 at our local high school and she turned 19. We had dinner and cake and presents. We like parties and so we always like to celebrate birthdays! She is in the debate team and wants to be a lawyer! She is constantly talking so I think she is choosing the right profession in the future!