EK Children’s Home in Uganda: New Hut Completed
November 14, 2023
Everyone at EK would like to extend a huge thank you to Liz Green and Kathy Green for making it possible to rebuild the hut at EK. This which has always been the home’s pride and joy but had fallen into a state of disrepair. Over the past few months, it had become too dangerous to use and had to be pulled down.
With Liz and Kathy’s help, the hut is now bigger and better than ever. Slightly larger the hut gives more room for all the Sunday school children.
It was very important to rebuild the hut with a grass roof, it really adds to the beauty of the home and the children and guests alike really enjoy it.
Herona Hospital to Host Medical Students from Wisconsin, USA
August 21, 2023
Just five days ago, Dr Mukalazi, Director of Herona Hospital in Uganda hosted visitors and medical students from the University of Wisconsin, Madison USA. These wanted to see possibilities of Herona Hospital being one of their internship sites in Africa. They inspected the hospital and the cottages where they could sleep in case they start . They were very happy with everything. They promised they will be coming in groups of 10 , 3 times in a year.They loved the hospital cottages and they are planning to spend 1 month each group and each visit with us.
They promised to send letters of confirmation and memorandum of undertaking (MOU). Photos of their visit below.
This is very good news indeed. After Herona Hospital attracted medical students from the four Schools of Medicine in Kampala for their clinical attachments, thus elevating Herona Hospital to de facto University Hospital status, we dreamt of Herona Hospital becoming a role model for a not-for-profit hospital, not just in Uganda and Africa but internationally too. Wisconsin is highly regarded in the USA on a par with Harvard, Stanford and Boston. If they do 4 weeks at a time, these students will get plenty of experience visiting rural villages in the Land Cruiser Ambulance as well as many cataracts in the Eye Clinic and trauma surgery in the Hospital. IMET2000 looks forward to funding some of the costs of these important visits.
Exciting News From Our Project Colleagues in Ghana
July 20,2023
Our splendid colleagues in the Action Through Enterprise (ATC) charity have just sent more information about their humanitarian work in the very poorest part of Ghana in the North. Their current base and HQ are in a village called Lawra but this programme has been so successful that they are expanding into other villages in the region. IMET2000 has been supporting the funding of a particular project providing interesting group therapy and education through play to disabled and handicapped children and their mothers. This too has been very successful and has been rolled out to surrounding villages. This success is largely due to an exceptional Ghanaian called Kaamil Issahaku who organises frequent whole day ‘camps’ attracting some 60 children and their Mums. IMET2000 happily sponsors Kaamil’s annual salary. As you can see in this video link (lhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nAFyMJ6xbHQ ), he and ATE’s outstanding CEO, Sarah Gardner, have developed a new ambitious plan to open a new Inclusion Centre called Nandom with its own building costing about £32,000 to refurbish, furnish and equip with learning materials to a similar standard as the current Centre in Lawra (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOQGRsC9asU )
If IMET2000 can attract funds from its total Africa Fund, we hope to be able to help with this exciting development. Sarah has also sent a link to a video ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CSr7afsV47I&t=33s) explaining what ATE has achieved over the past ten years. We urge you to view these links. They are inspiring and display the very best of UK aid offered unconditionally to low resource countries on a tiny annual budget.
Plastic Surgery Mission in Herona Hospital by Swiss Charity CHEIRA
May 20, 2023
Our friends and colleagues in the Swiss charity CHEIRA have paid yet another successful 8 days in Herona Hospital, this time dealing with patients needing plastic and reconstructive surgery. In that time, they operated on over 40 patients, many with severe Burkitts-Lynphoma-like lesions and other difficult conditions. The link below gets you in to a short film which shows just how difficult most of the cases were. Do please watch and listen as this is a good example of collaboration between a European charity and the UK charity IMET2000.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fLPasVljv4&t=21s
Another Visual Impairment Outreach Clinic Today
January 22, 2023
Our IMET2000 Field Officer in Uganda, Richard Field, has just sent this interesting report from Herona Hospital in Uganda where he is working for 3 months.
“Today we went on an eye outreach mobile clinic and it went very well. It seems Sundays are the chosen day because one of the optometrists is a Seventh Day Adventist. It actually works out very well.
They now have a very good amplifier for public speaking and drive around areas local to where the outreach will be and make announcements. They arrange the camps at churches after services, which means people are already gathered and they have somewhere sheltered with seating as they don’t have chairs or a tent.
Whilst people are waiting, they are told about eye care, general health issues and the services offered at Herona Hospital. Each person is registered and then examined by one of 2 optometrists who then write a diagnosis and prescription. They then came to the ambulance where Garvin and I handed out eye drops, creams, tablets and reading glasses according to their prescriptions. For some, we explained that they needed to visit HH for prescribed glasses or cataract operations. Their details and treatment were recorded in a book for government statistics. Between 80-100 people were examined. All those who needed treatment or reading glasses got them and 5 people were invited to visit HH for cataract surgery.
We left the hospital at 10am and returned around 5.30 pm. Well prepared hot food was given out but not until 4 pm.
It was a very enjoyable day, people were extremely grateful and I could really see the benefit of the outreach. The hospital gets excellent exposure, the staff get a chance to supplement their pay, the team get a great sense of achievement and Panta gets to pose behind the the wheel of the ambulance. Panta has been the main ambulance driver for 3 years now and is extremely proud of his important role in these clinics to villages as far away as 60 km. Each of these clinics is very cost effective and cost IMET2000 a mere £250. Richard “
IMET 2000 Starts Small in its New Ventures in Tanzania
September 1, 2022
IMET2000 has worked in many Sub-Saharan African countries over the last 20 years including Malawi, South Africa, Senegal, Ghana and Uganda but never so far in Tanzania. We are starting small but have just sponsored four students in vocational training centres in poor rural areas of Tanzania. Those that we are sponsoring are studying such subjects as Electrical Engineering and Engineering Science, English and Communications, Technical Drawing and Life Skills, Computer Studies and Mathematics and Tailoring, Business Studies and Entrepreneurship. Our students come from very poor backgrounds and some are orphans with limited secondary education. They cannot possibly afford expensive university degree courses and anyway, as in any low-resource country, technical skills are often the best way of making a living in rural areas.
We are committed to sponsoring these students (men and women) for two years to a total of £2,400 for all four (£300 each per year). This is a really low-cost investment in human resource and we hope in future to support many more young people.
Herona Hospital First Visual Impairment Mobile Clinic with New Ambulance
August 20, 2022
Last Sunday, August 14, Herona Hospital launched another first in its campaign to serve many different outlying and isolated villages (some as distant as 60 km from Herona) through regular visits using our brand- new Toyota Land Cruiser Ambulance. This clinic concentrated on visual impairment in Katosi, a fishing village on the shores of Lake Victoria. We intend to run these outreach clinics one each week for different medical needs ranging from family planning and maternal health, HIV prevention and treatment, basic dental surgery, visual impairment and so on. Each clinic costs IMET2000 only about £250 inclusive of medicines, staff and logistics so we regard them as exceptional value. For example, in this first clinic, over 100 patients were tested and treated in one day. Those needing more prolonged treatment or surgery such as cataract operations were referred to the Herona Hospital modernised Eye Clinic. Please look at the link here : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=puRvPsQq6xs as it gives a bird’s eye view of a large village and our Ambulance negotiating typical rough untarmacked roads and then the actual clinics with patients queuing for examination and testing. The aged and infirm are waiting on seats which were taken on the Ambulance roof-rack.
Toyota Land Cruiser Ambulance Delivered Finally to Herona Hospital
July 30, 2022
Thanks to a wonderfully generous grant to IMET2000 in October,2021 from the Randal Charitable Foundation to purchase and donate a Toyota Land Cruiser Ambulance to Herona Hospital in Uganda, it is great to report that the ambulance was finally delivered to the Hospital three days ago and is ready to roll on good roads and bad. It is so very welcome as it means far more mobile outreach clinics can be run in distant, rural villages accessed only by small dirt tracks and often across flooding streams in the wet season. The existing Hiace Ambulance can be restricted to good roads and used mainly for transport to Herona Hospital of sick patients or victims of bad road accidents. To have two good ambulances operating out of Herona Hospital is hugely important and we owe Dr Nik Kotecha and the Randal Charitable Foundation many many thanks for their patience and generosity.
Herona Hospital Solar Powered and Independent of Grid
IMET Sponsors and Herona Hospital Eye Team Runs First Albino Day in East Uganda
June 19, 2022




Latest News from Herona Hospital in Uganda
May 20, 2022
The Director of Herona Hospital, Dr Henry Garvin Mukalazi and our IMET Representative in Africa, Richard Field, have just sent this comprehensive report for the month of April,2022. It really is very comprehensive and encouraging. In May already, we have heard that the Toyota Land Cruiser Ambulance has at last been shipped from Dubai to Mombasa and should be delivered to Herona Hospital next week. Furthermore, the solar panels are being connected to storage batteries today and once the system is up and running, Herona Hospital should be independent of the unpredictable National Grid. The large oxygen generator is working well to piped oxygen for the surgical suites and the dedicated CV19 ward of 12 beds. All this has been funded through large grants awarded to IMET2000.
To read the report please click the link below:
Herona Hospital Monthly Report for April
Another Successful Cataract Day in Herona Hospital
May 6, 2022
On Sunday, April 30, ophthalmic surgeon Dr Susan Kakira and her team from Jinja Hospital spent the day operating for cataracts on another 20 patients out of the IMET2000 -Uganda waiting list of 450 we want to treat in 2022. All were successful. We are pleased that out of 60 already done in 2021 and 2022, none have failed so far. Dr Susan was so pleased with the newly installed piped oxygen, improved anaesthesia and excellent theatre nurses that she has asked Herona Hospital to ensure she does as many cataracts this year as can be fitted in. IMET2000 is so grateful that this has been made possible by a wonderful grant from The Ulverscroft Foundation. The charming words of the Director of Herona Hospital, Dr Henry Garvin Mukalazi below tells us all :
Dear Prof,
On behalf of our patients and staff, I take this opportunity to thank International Medical Education Trust ( IMET2000) for their financial support which has enabled us to complete 20 cataract surgeries on patients from the community at no cost to the patient. Trust me there is no hospital in Uganda that has such opportunity to its people. Thanks and thanks again for restoring vision in our people.
Henry Garvin
More Good News From Ghana
May 5, 2022
The two senior and essential members of staff supported by IMET2000 in Lawra, Ghana, Gabriel and Kaamil have both had incredible starts to the year. Kaamil has expanded the SNAP programme to 2 new communities, setting up new monthly support groups and carrying out extensive case work with 70 new children. This takes the number of disabled children cared for in the SNAP Programme to 250. He recruited a new Programme Coordinator – Helen Gala. Helen is a wonderful addition to the team – a qualified social worker with specific skills in physiotherapy and speech therapy. She also has a physical disability herself, so is an inspirational role model to the children she works with. This year – the SNAP Team have enabled 43 disabled children to attend school -39 at mainstream local schools and 4 to specialist boarding schools. This has taken huge dedication and hard work. They have carried out skills workshops for mothers, training them to make shea butter.
Gabriel continues to lead the team with incredible kindness and skill. Gabriel drives our charity Action Through Enterprise (ATE) forwards with so much enthusiasm, expanding into new areas and improving existing projects. This year he has set up a new Hub in rural Tanchara, serving a large community of 3800 people with our three programmes – SNAP, EducATE (access to education) and BizATE (small business development). Gabriel is wonderful at his job. IMET2000 is so pleased with progress that it has pledged to support these two men for the next 12 months.
Herona Hospital Welcomes Piped Oxygen Via Peak Scientific Generator
April 24, 2022
We are proud to report that Herona Hospital has now got a much better oxygen supply due to a very generous donation from Peak Scientific and their Founder and CEO Robin MacGeachy. Here are the latest photos of the Peak Scientific oxygen generator now working perfectly and producing medical grade 94% oxygen. The South African engineer Reghard shown in the photos worked miracles to get it ready and working by the time the visiting CHEIRA surgical/gynaecological team of 8 arrived to work hard each day for 9 days. It arrived from Mombasa badly damaged and Reghard had to put it together with many spare parts flown in urgently and then get it running and properly tested. He succeeded the same day the Swiss team arrived. The team and anaesthetists particularly expressed wonderment that we had installed so much new equipment since they last visited in autumn last year and enjoyed their mission so much that they are returning later this year. Perhaps apart from much better anaesthesia for the patients the most obvious benefit of the piped oxygen was that two surgical teams could operate in two theatres at the same time so nearly double the number of difficult cases could be treated. Another important bonus is that CHEIRA are so impressed with progress that they have confirmed that they will use Herona Hospital as their HQ for an expanding programme in Africa in future. The piped oxygen is also life-saving for severely ill patients in our dedicated COVID-19 ward of 12 beds. That too is hugely important. Many thanks to Robin and all his team.
Plans for New Cataract Operations in Herona Hospital
November 30, 2021
The collaboration with Dr Susan Kikira, senior consultant ophthalmic surgeon based in Jinja Hospital and Herona Hospital has resulted in another cataract eye clinic when 20 were done successfully in one day by Dr Kikira on Sunday 28 th November. The full time optometrist Linda Hasfa is still extremely busy and has built up the service such that we may have to recruit another at least part time. Some of the patients needing cataract operations are very young but of course, most are beyond middle age and are virtually blind. In the younger population, many children and adolescents are going blind un-necessarily with treatable eye conditions such as trachoma so we will try to raise more funds to cover additional costs and subsidise the cataract costs for the poorest people. There are near 350 patients on the waiting list for cataract operations, some bilateral, and most cannot afford the costs in Kampala. We are now aiming to do one such one-day clinic every month starting in February 2022 and try to clear the backlog as quickly as possible. Each operation costs IMET2000 £110 so in a day 20 patients are treated and the cost/day is therefore roughly £2,200. We regard this as one of our best investments for 2022. Now that we have a new Toyota Land Cruiser Ambulance, we also plan to run at least one visual impairment outreach clinic per month in poor rural villages as far away as 60 kilometres from Herona Hospital and this will almost certainly mean that more difficult operations and treatments will come to the Hospital in Kisoga Town.
Herona Hospital Director’s Report on CHEIRA Surgical Mission
November 10, 2021
The Director of Herona Hospital in Uganda, Dr Henry Garvin Mukalazi, has just sent this report and photos on the recent visit by surgeons working for our partners the Swiss charity CHEIRA.
Dear Prof,
We had a successful surgical camp and are extremely grateful for the support of the Swiss charity CHEIRA. The visiting team of three surgeons had no major complaints as the patients had warm blankets and WiFi access and our anaesthetic officer used the anaesthetic machine IMET2000 procured and donated and it worked perfectly.
This time it was a capacity-building mission. Dr Patricia, a visceral surgeon from Austria, taught us the Basini and Linchestain procedures of hernia repair. We worked on a total of 23 patients and all recovered well (even one with a connective tissue disease and very thin muscles in whom it was hard for us to insert the mesh ). I think I benefited more since I was doing my surgery rotation at the University Medical School.
CHEIRA are planning and looking forward to another surgical camp in April next year (probably in gynaecology). Dr Patricia plans to come back next year for another capacity building mission but this time she expects to stay for 2 months I have promised her 300 cases since our patients often stay with hernias for up to 40 years due to scarcity of money and there are many on the waiting lists.
New Ambulance and Mobile Clinic Service in Herona Hospital, Uganda
November 9,2021
Progress in the Ambulance and Outreach Mobile Clinics Service of Herona Hospital from the purchase of the second hand Toyota Hiace Ambulance in March 2019 to the recent purchase and donation by IMET2000 of a fully equipped and brand new Toyota Land Cruiser Ambulance has been phenomenal and we seek to build on this success still further because the latest ambulance is far more capable of reaching distant villages in the wet season along heavily rutted mud tracks. The Toyota Hiace has been completely overhauled and renovated and is still providing an excellent service along good roads.
Thanks to a major grant from the Randal Charitable Foundation to IMET2000 as well as our own fundraising programme, as Herona Hospital now has two ambulances, this completely alters our ability to run far more outreach clinics to probably five per month. The second hand Toyota Hiace Ambulance we donated in May 2019 has proven of enormous benefit but although perfect for traffic accidents and bringing in patients along reasonable roads, it can get stuck in the rainy season trying to reach rural villages along deeply rutted dirt tracks. The number of outreach clinics has also been limited since if away from base all day there was then no other transport available for urgent cases.
This vehicle has just last month been completely overhauled and renovated and is in good condition as shown in the photo below. This ambulance will now be used primarily for emergency transport of serious cases needing to be brought into the hospital.
The recently purchased and donated well-equipped Toyota Land Cruiser Ambulance (see photo below) at a cost of £48,000 is currently being fitted at no extra charge with a heavy-duty roof rack which will allow bulky tents and equipment to be carried outside the vehicle and allow more space inside for patient care needed in the mobile outreach clinics. This vehicle is designed to be able to cross flooded streams and deeply rutted dirt tracks so that it can serve many more villages with difficult access and no other health care.
We now plan to run 5 different outreach clinics to poorly served villages for four main health needs including:
· Eye and visual impairment clinics (one per month)
· HIV/Sickle cell/diabetes/hypertension clinics (one per month)
· Basic dental service (one per month)
· Family planning, maternal health and sexually transmitted diseases (twice a month).
In all these outreach clinics, information on the prevention and management of COVID-19 infection will be handed out in simply illustrated pamphlets to village elders.
Additional equipment is needed for each discipline for these mobile clinics and the most urgent needed equipment we need to donate as a one-off cost to budget for. Running costs including medicines, disposables, ambulance and staff wages also need budgeting but will be dependent on the number of clinics run each month and how many patients need more expensive treatment.
Any contribution to this project would be much appreciated not just by IMET2000 but more importantly the Ugandan staff and their patients. Most of these villages are desperately poor financially so most treatments have to be provided free or at a very low cost. This is not entirely one-sided altruism as we also benefit. The word spreads rapidly in Africa and our Herona Hospital gains from excellent publicity which is noted at the Ministerial level and throughout the Health Sector as well as Nursing and Medical Schools. For IMET2000 the benefit gained from the carefully audited data and results is incalculable in working up courses and workshops in EXTREME HEALTHCARE. Thank you.
Herona Hospital in Uganda on Film
September11,2021
Our Man in Africa, Richard Field, and Dr Henry Garvin Mukalazi (Director of Herona Hospital in Uganda) have made this short film linked below to update us on progress over the last year and promote some plans for the future. It is remarkable what they have achieved in just four years with the continued support of the Paul Foundation and IMET2000. Our next big project to make it the best hospital in Mukono District is to improve the drinking water supply and to install solar panels to fully power all needs including 3-phase supply for X-Ray and the oxygen generator 24/7.
Recent News from Herona Hospital in Uganda
April 11, 2021
IMET2000 is pleased to report significant progress in the establishment of Herona Hospital in Uganda. First of all, the 40-foot container sent out last year with beds and equipment purchased by Kathy Green and donated to the Hospital, has been moved onto firm foundations, roofed and converted into administrative offices and patient note archive storage at very low cost.
This has released precious space in the main hospital building now converted to laboratory and patient care facilities. Second, thanks to a generous grant from the Paul Foundation, a basic Intensive Care Unit (ICU) has been decorated and equipped with patient monitors, pulse oximeters, CPAP respirators, quality beds and piped oxygen. Finally, Senior Nurse Lekulu Hasifa, a long serving staff member in Herona Hospital has started her Julie Felix Memorial Scholarship in Maternal Health with a strong course in midwifery the main objective of a BSc in Victoria Hospital. We wish her the very best in her academic journey and thank all the kind UK donors to IMET2000 who helped fund this scholarship.
IMET2000 Renews Salary Support for Kaamil Issahaku in Ghana
April 1, 2021
We have been so impressed by the wonderful work of the Action Through Enterprise (ATE) charity Manager Kaamil Issahaku in an important programme of support for children with disabilities (and their Mothers) in a very poor region of Ghana that we have decided to renew his salary for the calendar year 2021. In the letter of thanks, we have just today received from Kaamil (Click Here to view), you can read all about the SNAP programme that he is dedicated to as well as many other managerial duties he undertakes. He is an outstanding man and another champion in Africa we are proud to support. He has his own nuclear family (wife and three girls) but from the photos, you can see his love and genuine interest in his regional family touching the lives by example of many hundreds of needy people.
Richard Field is Back in Uganda for Three Months
December 27, 2020
Richard Field flew out to Uganda on the 19th December, only 12 hours before lockdown would have made that impossible. He arrived safely and was almost immediately overtaken by work in both the Ebenezer Children’s Home and Herona Hospital. Typical Richard, he threw himself into the children’s and hospital staff Christmas fun and has sent back this lovely photo of the children with the presents sent from the UK in his flight baggage. He reports the good news that the 54 year old lady who had the hip prosthesis as the first case diagnosed in the Herona Hospital Orthopaedic Department is walking well with a frame. Richard is so pleased with progress in both the home and the hospital but clearly, there is much to be done in maintenance and more improvements. In IMET2000 we are fundraising toward a target of £50,000 for 2021 for basic essentials but would love to raise enough to clear the waiting list of 350 cataracts needing financial support.
The Herona Hospital Eye Clinic is Increasingly Busy
November 30, 2020
The collaboration with Dr Susan Kikira, senior consultant ophthalmic surgeon based in Jinja Hospital and Herona Hospital is flourishing and she is not only willing to work in the Herona Hospital Eye Clinic on a paid basis but is giving invaluable advice on equipment and other improvements still needed to bring it right up to international standards. The service provided already comprises cataract operations (for example 20 were done successfully in one day by Dr Kikira on Sunday 29th November) and the newly recruited full time optometrist is extremely busy. She dealt with 66 patients in just one day on the 26th November and her high reputation is growing by the day. This service is particularly important to IMET2000 as so many young people are going blind un-necessarily with treatable eye conditions so we will try to raise more funds to cover additional costs and subsidise the cataract costs for the poorest people. There are near 350 patients on the waiting list for cataract operations, some bilateral, and most cannot afford the costs in Kampala.
Herona Hospital Opens Its New Orthopaedic Department
November 16, 2020
IMET2000 is proud to announce the opening of the Herona Hospital new Orthopaedic Department made possible by the installation of a full X-Ray service and recruitment of a well- qualified orthopaedic surgeon. This service is needed urgently as there are so many traffic accidents in the area and no other hospital in Mukona District has such a good imaging department. Victims have in the past had to go into Kampala for treatment. The first hip replacement is in a 54 year old lady with a severely damaged joint which causes extreme pain (see X-Ray image below). The surgery is to be completed this week. We wish her every success. This too has been funded by IMET2000 and our African representative Richard Field.
Brand New Generator for Herona Hospital
November 16, 2020
The mains electricity supply to Herona Hospital frequently shuts down and it has depended on an old 17kV generator to cut in whenever this occurred over the last two years. However, last week that too failed beyond repair in the midst of a C-section surgical delivery which had to be completed by torchlight. Richard Field strongly recommended that we borrow from IMET2000 reserves and personal loans to purchase a brand new Perkins Diesel 40kV generator costing £5000 in Uganda. This is shown in the photos below. We agreed that this was an emergency and sent out the necessary funds to purchase and install it today. This machine is far more powerful and capable of coping with the 3-phase supply needed for the X-Ray and with the greatly enlarged hospital since it was completed.
Upgrading the Eye Clinic for Cataract Surgery in Herona Hospital
November 16, 2020
In a recent visit by Dr Susan Kikira to plan future upgrading of the Eye Clinic and a full day ‘Cataract Day’, she saw what was already available including the operating microscope purchased by Kathy Green and sent out months ago. Dr Susan is a well- regarded ophthalmic surgeon heading a good unit in Jinja Hospital and is prominent in the Society of Ophthalmology of East Africa. She provided a comprehensive list of equipment needed for a full day of operating in which 20 patients would be treated by her team of four. This was budgeted at about £4000 and IMET2000 agreed to cover this cost as it would kick-start our own surgical service in the Eye Clinic learning from Dr Susan during the day. Future cataract operations would be done at a much lower cost once the additional equipment was on site. The day is scheduled for December 14th. Now that the service has built up and the clinic is open Monday to Friday each week, a full time optometrist has been recruited and is already well settled in and busy with many patients.
The Julie Felix Maternity Unit as Busy as Ever
October 27, 2020
This short film has been put together by our IMET2000 Official Representative in Africa, Richard Field. It shows just why Herona Hospital is so attractive to ladies in trouble with childbirth. The care is excellent and if they have to have C-sections they can be done in the same hospital with excellent survival rates for both mothers and their babies. Please have a look via this link below.
The X-ray Suite Opened in Herona Hospital Funded by the Paul Foundation
October 26, 2020
The X-ray Department has opened following purchase with The Paul Foundation funding an excellent GE AM4 mobile machine capable of being used outside the main suite as well as alongside the main Philips machine so that it can provide a comprehensive service. This means that IMET2000 can now support a new Orthopaedic Clinic which is much needed in dealing with many traffic accidents in the Mukona District. We are all so grateful to The Paul Foundation and thank them for their most generous support. The report from the Director of Herona Hospital, Dr Henry Garvin Mukalazi, is interesting.
Dear Prof,
Warm greetings from Herona Hospital, on behalf of the staff of Herona Hospital Uganda. I would like to take this opportunity to thank you, The Paul Foundation and IMET2000 for all kindness and generosity which enabled us to purchase the portable GE AM4 X-ray machine, book a crane for it’s safe transportation, purchase power stabilizers and have one of the staff trained in radiation protection and X-ray image processing.
Donation of this machine to work alongside the main Philips machine (see photos) to the hospital could in time save thousands of lives in our hospital. In the past, we have always referred patients needing X-Ray to other hospitals in Kampala. This is so important, especially for patients with fractures, intestinal obstruction and respiratory diseases.
This has given us the green light for initiation of our new Herona Hospital Orthopaedic Clinic, the first in the area. On Saturday, the day after we opened the X-Ray Suite on October 23rd, Dr Matovu Cliff, an orthopaedic surgeon with a masters degree in orthopaedic surgery from Makere University and a long- time friend, visited the hospital and toured the facility. We agreed to start a special orthopedic clinic where patients with complicated orthopaedic conditions would be seen. This will be running every Friday. We are also recruiting a full-time orthopaedic officer who will be able to screen all orthopedic patients, do minor procedures and give quality orthopaedic emergency care to patients after accidents. Cases that need surgery will be booked for Dr Matovu on Saturday. He has also pledged to do emergency surgeries to accident patients any time we need him. Previously, we referred all orthopaedic cases to Mulago National Referral Hospital in Kampala.
Kathy, thanks so much for the image viewer now installed and working perfectly and the lead aprons have all been put to great use.
Once again thanks so much to you all. You have made this a reality.
Kind regards,
Henrygarvin Mukalazi
A Short History of Herona Hospital in Uganda
September 28, 2020
Our IMET2000 Representative in Africa, Richard Field has put together this short history of Herona Hospital on video. IMET2000 and our close friends and partners The Paul Foundation get much praise but we all know that this remarkable achievement in just three years owes all to a chance meeting between Richard and another exceptional man Dr Henry Garvin Mukalazi back in April2017 and they have worked tirelessly together ever since to construct a 50 bed hospital offering by far the best service in Mukono District and a population of near 600,000, culminating in recognition as a teaching hospital for all four Faculties of Medicine in Kampala and for nurses and midwives too.
IMET2000 Awarded by Herona Hospital in Uganda for All Support
September 24, 2020
On Sunday, 20th September, our representative in Uganda Richard Field recently returned to the UK visited our HQ in Bookham and presented Trustee Kathy Green and Colin with plaques and memorabilia from the Director of Herona hospital in Uganda , Dr Mukalazi, and his staff. We accepted these as a big thank you to all in IMET2000.
Further Support for Kaamil Issahaku in Ghana
September 12, 2020
We are continuing to support the SNAP programme in Lawra, Ghana through the salary of the Project Lead, Kaamil Issahaku. The CEO of her charity Action Through Enterprise (ATE) Sarah Gardner assures me that not only is he totally committed to the young disabled people and their Mums in his care but is expanding the SNAP programme into other neighbouring villages. Setting up a model as exemplar for others to copy or adapt is a policy we share with ATE and want to develop.
ATE Wins Silver Global Good Award
September 12, 2020
Our friends in ATE, the charity carrying out poverty reduction and support of disabled children and their Mums in rural Ghana that IMET2000 is so proud to support is delighted have won a Global Good Award!
We too are so pleased for this well- deserved recognition of their humanitarian activities.
The award is in the category of Community Partnerships, for their innovative BizATE work carried out in partnership with Commercial Education Trust.
BizATE is a small business development training programme which tackles deepening poverty in Lawra Municipality, Ghana where the majority of the population struggle to survive on subsistence farming. It does so by enabling the set-up and growth of small enterprises through training and mentoring to ensure their success in an extremely challenging economic environment. Workshops are tailored to a range of trade groups and designed to work inclusively for small business owners whom mostly have low levels of literacy. Investing in training of local trainers is a key element, enabling local people to facilitate change in their community.
Since 2012, BizATE has supported 99 small businesses with seed grants and essential business skills training, the vast majority of whom struggled to survive on subsistence farming and had no income at all prior to participating in the programme. This work aims to end poverty by enabling entrepreneurs of small enterprises to thrive, to generate income, and increase profits and savings in order to provide for themselves and their families, now and sustainably into the future. This project focuses on developing skills in commercial education, to ensure the businesses have every chance of success.
ATE is excited and proud to have been recognised so publicly for this area of poverty reduction work. To find out more about ATE, or to get involved, see www.ateghana.org.
Herona Hospital Opens its Fully Accredited HIV Clinic
July 20, 2020
In collaboration with the Makerere Walter Reed project, our new Herona Hospital in Uganda has opened its fully accredited HIV Clinic enabling access to free anti-retroviral (ARV) drugs, test kits and a viable CD4 screening system provided by the Ministry of Health. They now have enough ARVs for three months and it is hoped will get salary support for staff working on HIV patients
The Julie Felix Memorial Maternity Unit in Herona Hospital a Huge Success
July 11,2020
The Director of Herona Hospital has sent this report and appreciation for the contributions IMET2000 continues to make, in particular the hard work put in by Trustee Kathy Green and the IMET2000 Representative in Africa, Richard Field. Together with our Ugandan colleagues and tremendous financial support from the Patrick Paul Foundation, they have made all this possible.
Dear Prof,
Warm greetings from Uganda. On Sunday we compiled our monthly report and realised a huge increase in numbers of patients coming to the hospital with over 250 ultrasound examinations, 78 surgical interventions (including 22 C-sections) and 68 spontaneous vaginal deliveries in the Julie Felix Memorial Maternity Unit. This increase in numbers has been associated with the fact that the hospital has consistency in service delivery and is fully equipped just like a one-stop-shop. We also noted an increase in the utilisation of antenatal services by pregnant mothers, a clinic that runs every Friday. The diagnostic laboratory managed to carry out 1,020 tests. The hospital beds are such a blessing for the patients as so much more comfortable. We now have very few deaths and far less need to refer patients to bigger hospitals Our community and Herona Hospital are so grateful and thankful to IMET2000 especially Kathy Green and Richard Field.
Henry Garvin Mukalazi (Director)
More Good News From Herona Hospital
June 11, 2020
Dr Henry Garvin Mukalazi has sent a very encouraging report from Herona Hospital . In brief the main points of interest are:
- It has opened its newly accredited HIV Clinic with free ARV drugs, screening and counselling
- It has opened a screening point for COVID-19 tests and have just picked up their first UCL-Ventura respirator donated by IMET2000
- Now fully registered with the Ministry of Health, they are getting free drugs for treating or preventing malaria, thalassaemia or toxoplasmosis
- The Julie Felix Memorial Maternity Unit is very busy with 55 difficult births successful in 2 weeks including 20 C-Sections
- Two very experienced midwives have been recruited along with another surgeon to cope with the heavy workload
- The pharmacy is fully stocked for 6 weeks ahead
- The X-ray donated by IMET2000 is being slung from a steel frame and will then be connected to phase 3 electrics (photo of work in progress)
This is all really positive for the future of Herona Hospital, COVID-19 or not and the running costs are just balanced by income.
Our First Twins by C-Section in the Julie Felix Maternity Unit
May 11, 2020
The quality of care, safety, low charges and in-house ability to do C-Sections in our Julie Felix Maternity Unit is attracting many more women to have their childbirths in Herona Hospital. We are delighted to report our very first set of twins delivered safely by C-Section two days ago.
This C- Section is the Very First Operation in our New Theatre
April 3, 2020
Even though Uganda is in COVID-19 lockdown , our ladies are still coming to Herona Hospital having problems in childbirth. The successful delivery of this baby by C-section was our first baptism of fire in our brand new surgical suite in Herona Hospital, no doubt the first of many.
Herona Hospital Completed Just in Time Before COVID-19 Lockdown in Uganda
April 3, 2020
IMET2000 is proud to announce that the construction and part equipping of Herona Hospital was completed on time and nearly within budget just 3 days ago. This is just in time as the Ugandan Government has enforced a complete lockdown in all towns for two weeks in an attempt to contain COVID-19 and any delays would have prevented opening for months possibly longer. The hospital is only dealing with really urgent cases as staff are staying at home in self isolation. If this continues it will clearly impact negatively on income and sustainability but it is more likely that if the number of corona virus patients rises it will get very busy again. To ensure financial viability for April, IMET2000 made a substantial grant from its Emergency Fund today. It is also urgently designing simple inexpensive respirators to deal with breathing compromised patients as well as supporting home-grown cottage industries in Kisoga in making personal protective clothing for healthcare workers.
Herona Hospital Phase 3 Completed and Ready to Equip
March 22,2020
Construction , flooring, tiling and decoration of Pase 3 of Herona Hospital is now complete. The three main wards will this week have recently donated hospital beds (as arranged by Kathy Green of IMET2000) moved in ready for patients (male, female and children’s separate wards). The main operating theatre has modern plumbing, lighting and efficient air conditioning. As soon as these are all operational and the wards full of patients, work will start on erecting the Philips X-ray machine in the basement room already prepared for its installation with lead protection. Soon after that, depending on funding, IMET 2000 plans to create a modern intensive care unit (ICU) complete with respiratory ventilators and a high dependency unit in dedicated space already planned. Progress to date has been exceptional and within budget but of course the coronavirus pandemic is bound to affect plans for the future.
Richard Field Returns From Uganda
March 21.2020
Richard Field returned from Uganda yesterday after three months working in the Ebenezer Kisoboka Childrens Home in Kitosi and in Herona Hospital in Kisoga. He reports great progress in both IMET2000 projects after close involvement in repair and construction works and checking on the financial budgeting on the ground. As one of his talents, he has done a lovely mural on the brand new children’s ward in Herona Hospital and a photo is posted. We expect this ward will be opened, occupied and functioning within two weeks.
Dental Hygiene Outreach Clinics to Three Villages
March 17, 2020
Our resident Herona Hospital Dental Surgeon and our IMET2000 representative Richard Field spent all day yesterday in three different villages as one of our weekly outreach programmes. The object was to emphasise the importance of dental hygiene and distribute free toothbrushes donated by our good colleague Mandy Luzar to scores of children. This was another activity funded by IMET 2000. Sadly, because of coronavirus blocks on flights and entry to Uganda, Mandy was unable to be there herself as planned.
More Equipment Supplied by IMET2000 Arrives Safely
March 4, 2020
This YouTube is a visual record of the day that the 40ft container arrived in Herona Hospital packed with equipment for the wards, the eye clinic and operating theatres newly built in Phase 3. The construction and equipping of Herona Hospital is now virtually complete and any further support from IMET2000 will be for staff recruitment and higher training. The video has not yet been edited for the IMET2000 website and was largely filmed for Ugandan national TV so please skip the long speeches in Lugandan language by the very supportive local MP and the Director of Herona Hospital, Dr Mukalazi (from 11.28 minutes from beginning to 18.04 minutes). Of most obvious interest to our website is that the hospital beds were cleaned, tested and occupied by patients within two days of unloading from the container.
The container once emptied was hoisted onto a concrete plinth already prepared behind the main hospital building and provides essential and permanent hospital storage space. This is another milestone in our IMET2000 programme for upgrading healthcare in Africa.
Monday Busy as Usual in Herona Hospital
March 1, 2020
Monday each week is the day when most infant vaccinations are done so it is always busy and often women have to wait their turn outside under sun shades provided. Vaccines are provided by the Ministry of Health and are free to the patients.
SNAP Manager Kaamil Isshahaku with Disabled Teenager Kwame
February 27, 2020
The ATE charity in Ghana Manager of the SNAP programme for disabled children, Kaamil Isshahaku, is working with Kwame, a disabled teenager, to get some education and relief for his Mother and to avoid discrimination of such unfortunate young people. We in IMET2000 are proud to support all that this exceptional man Kaamil is achieving in a low income society in north Ghana.
Letter From Ghana About the SNAP Programme
February 27,2020
This letter of thanks from the SNAP Project Manager puts in his own words what they are trying to achieve (and succeeding) in one of the poorest areas in Ghana. IMET2000 is delighted to support such a fine man for this year at least.
Hello, Imet 2000,
My name is Kaamil Issahaku and I am the SNAP Project Lead for ATE. I am writing to say thank you, and to tell you some more about myself and my work.
I decided to work with ATE because I have the zeal of supporting children living with special needs, so that they can have access to education, access to healthcare and also that they are free from discrimination.
As part of my role I organise and deliver monthly SNAP meetings in 3 communities, I do these meetings with our 170 SNAP group members in Lawra, Dowine and Jirapa. I involve capacity building of the SNAP Parent Committee Members to ensure that they can be part of the team, contributing to the changes that.
we are making for the disabled children that we work with. Inspiring them to be leaders in their own communities is important to me.
I carry out reporting, individual casework, as well as outreach and advocacy with stakeholders. This work is all vital to raise the profile of the needs of the children I fight for.
I have, for some time now, been making disabled children smile, putting smiles on their faces by assisting and seeing them into education – when we can assist them to start school it is a wonderful achievement. I make sure all of them can access healthcare services and support parents to reach the social welfare department and in some cases where possible and necessary, to access the officer in charge of The Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice.
Over the next year, I hope to achieve being able to see more of these disabled children into formal
education – that is my priority area. Also making sure that they have their total rights, free from being discriminated against in their society. That is my fight. – reducing stigmatisation drastically, I have the passion for that. I am most passionate about the discrimination aspect. I am making sure that in my community, it is reduced – I am sure we have made a great difference with this.
I wish to say thank you IMET 2000, for giving me this kind of support, so that I am also able to support the less privileged in our society. Thank you very much and GOD bless you!
Yours sincerely,
Kaamil.
Kaamil Issahaku
SNAP Project Lead
Construction of Phase 3 Herona Hospital Nears Completion
February 3, 2020
Construction of the final Phase Three of Herona Hospital (the ground floor) proceeds apace on schedule and within budget. Windows are completed and installed and the inner walls and ceiling plastering completed. An epoxy resin floor is now being laid. Air conditioning units are being purchased and installed in most areas of the hospital. Wall tiling and decoration starts next week. We are impressed with the amazing progress made already.
Herona Hospital Ground Floor Roof Nears Completion
December 30, 2019
Our IMET2000 Official Representative in Africa, Richard Field, flew out to Uganda on the 28th December, visited the Ebenezer Kisoboka Children’s Home all day yesterday and then spent today with the Director of Herona Hospital , Henry Garvin Mukelazi (see photo). He reports that progress in construction of the Ground Floor (Phase 3) is impressive. In the photos below, you can see that the roof is ready to have cement poured over the whole slab and over 30 labourers are employed to finish this within 2-3 days starting tomorrow Tuesday 31st December. This will take 5-7 days to set and harden. During that time windows and casements will be prepared and outer walls completed. Work is on schedule and within budget.
Rapid Progress in Herona Hospital Construction
December 8, 2019
The Director of Herona Hospital Dr Henry Garvin Mukalazi has sent today this report with images to show how rapidly they are making progress. This has all been made possible by the generous grant from the Paul Foundation to IMET2000 to plan and organise this major health development in a poor area of Uganda. Even though only Phase 1 and Phase 2 have been completed and are operational, it is remarkable that Garvin can report that they have nearly 7000 outpatients dealt with in November alone.
Report: “We are extremely grateful for the continuous support from IMET2000. Today, we had a meeting with our site engineer. He has started with the wood work for final slab roofing of the ground floor (Phase 3). With the grant of IMET2000 and Mr Paul, we have already purchased thousands of eucalyptus poles and timber necessary for this Phase. We hope to finish all the wood work and setting by 16 th December, 2019; then concreting the entire slab will be finished by 20 th December, 2019. Once the cement has set (in another 5 days) we will install all air conditioning, plumbing and electrical wiring.
The entire community is so expectant in hospital progress and development. In the month of November we served a total of 6789 outpatients, including large numbers of Caesarian sections. Thank you. Henry Garvin.”
Jimmy Banda from Malawi Three Month Report in India
November 30,2019
Our IMET2000 Scholar studying for an MSc in Clinical Research in Sharda University, India has just sent us his three month report. Not surprisingly he has had quite a difficult time socially as missing his family and surviving financially on a meagre income in a foreign society. He has settled down and is enjoying the course and is highly motivated to complete and gain a great deal from it to translate to students in Malawi when he returns home. We are pleased to support him.
Latest Progress in Phase 3 Construction of Herona Hospital
November 29, 2019
Construction of the outer shell of the ground floor of Herona Hospital is now well under way and once completed the roof slab will be built above. At this rate of progress, this will be waterproofed by Christmas and inner walls can then be built inside. In fact, we are a little ahead of schedule and IMET2000 is well pleased with progress. Once this Phase 3 is completed and the container now en route for Uganda arrives full of beds and equipment, Herona Hospital will have all the essential wards and some 40-50 beds to be fully registered with the Ministry of Health in Uganda.
More Equipment to Herona Hospital in Uganda
November 25, 2019
Our IMET2000 official representative in Uganda Richard Field and the Director of Herona Hospital Dr Henry Garvin Mukalazi have written kind words to acknowledge the safe gathering, storage and packing for shipment of equipment for their hospital: “A massive thank you and congratulations to IMET2000 Trustee Kathy Green. All the hard work and sleepless nights have paid off. From sourcing, purchase, collecting, engraving and wrapping a huge consignment of equipment followed by filling in forms, making endless phone calls and loading the container (see the pictures), miraculously Kathy has made it all come together. Today, we saw the 40ft container packed up and sent on its way to Uganda. Bon voyage! It is a huge achievement which will change Herona Hospital beyond recognition.”
More About the SNAP Programme in Ghana
November 23, 2019
ATE coordinates monthly support groups in the three villages Lawra Town, Dowine and ESONG Jirapa . These provide a lifeline for isolated disabled children to socialise and play, and for their parents/caregivers to come together and meet families with shared experiences. Through these SNAP Meetings, ATE provides workshops on health and care, inviting speakers in from other organisations. Adults learn whilst children enjoy interactive activities. We provide a large meal for all who attend, as many have very limited access to food. Monthly SNAP meetings are run by our SNAP Project Leader, Kaamil Issahaku and SNAP Playscheme Coordinator, Ernestina Gan in partnership with a committee of parents of disabled children from the SNAP membership.
Play Scheme
We deliver a twice weekly play scheme in our purpose built Inclusion Centre in the centre of Lawra. This beautiful space, full of light, colour and wonderful resources, is the perfect location for us to provide educational play activities for our disabled children. Our super SNAP Play Scheme Coordinator, Ernestina, is supported to deliver this programme by a group of disability specialist and teachers in the UK. Together, they plan interactive, fun and educational play for children who travel long distances to join us on Tuesdays and Thursdays of each week. The two hour session helps the children to develop social skills, basic literacy and numeracy, and to enjoy learning. Parents (almost 100% mothers and grandmothers) are encouraged to join in with their children, or to relax and enjoy a cup of tea whilst chatting to other parents in similar situations – this has a profound effect reducing the isolation and loneliness which is so common amongst these heroic women.
Case Work
ATE takes on significant case work in the areas of medical care, access to education and access to social welfare. We work on an individual basis with families to ensure they are able to access all government services that are available. Kaamil Issahaku, SNAP Project Lead is an experienced ex-civil servant with excellent understanding of government processes. Kaamil uses his knowledge and respected position in the community to fight for the rights of the disabled children we work with. He works with parents to enroll children in mainstream and special schools, facilitates access to specialist medical assessment and equipment and makes sure they receive medical care when unwell, and works with families to access financial support available from the government.
IMET2000 Support for Salary of Kaamil Issahaku in Ghana
November 21, 2019
IMET2000 is continuing and increasing its support for the wonderful work our affiliated charity ATE does in Ghana with seriously disabled children (Special Needs Awareness Programme or SNAP). We are now committed to pay the salary for a whole year for Kaamil Issahaku. The CEO of ATE, Sarah Gardner, has sent this brief bio of this man. ‘Kaamil Issahaku is a dynamic, young and energetic man from a renowned Muslim family in the Lawra community of Zongo. He has worked at the office of the Lawra Municipal Assembly for the past 10 years as a Community Information Centre Manager. Having worked in collaboration with the Municipal Social Welfare and Community Development Office and having been in frequent contact with people living with disabilities, Kaamil was moved to become an advocate for people living with disabilities. When he saw the role of SNAP Project Lead being advertised he decided to apply so that he could contribute to the development of SNAP and ATE’s work, so that ‘together we can put smiles on the faces of the vulnerable in our society’ and grant them their rights free from discrimination. Kaamil is now our Senior Manager in Lawra. As well as leading our SNAP work, he is responsible for senior administration and has many line management responsibilities.’
Richard Field Officially Appointed IMET2000 Representative in Uganda
October 27, 2019
After working in Uganda for over seven years in the Ebenezer Kisoboko Children’s Home and since 2017 helping IMET2000 start the Herona Hospital project as our Field Officer in Uganda on a voluntary basis, the Executive Committee has invited him to be the official IMET2000 Representative in Uganda on a consultancy basis. Richard has accepted happily. Our Board of Trustees and the Executive Committee are delighted to have somebody so devoted to these two important programmes in Uganda at the helm and able to spend precious time out there to ensure our projects are working well. He is also responsible as Safeguarding Officer that our many children are fully protected. We are also delighted that Richard has recruited Dick (Richard Lubowa) to run the EK Home and the Triumph programme (in both of which IMET2000 has invested substantially) and also work as the local Safeguarding Officer for both EK and Triumph. In one photo taken in February 2019, bearded Richard is shown with Kathy Green, Colin Green and Aunt (who acts as a wonderful cook and mother figure for the 21 children in the Home). In the other is Dick who is committed and dedicated to the children too and runs the Home very well for us.
Visit of Patrick and Nina Paul to Herona Hospital
October 24, 2019
On October 17 th, Patrick and Nina Paul who widely and generously support our work in Africa flew out to Uganda to visit Herona Hospital and the Ebenezer Kisoboka Childrens Home in both of which they have a major interest. They were met at the airport by our Field Officer Richard Field and the Director of Herona hospital, Dr Garvin Mukalazi and driven to Mukono District and their hotel. They then had two very intensively programmed days including visits to the Hospital and to the Home as well as driving in the ambulance and visiting a village for one of our outreach clinics. Richard reports back that they were really impressed by progress and the fact that so many patients are now coming through the doors for treatment (near 5000 per month). Patrick now wants to meet Colin Green in London when they return from Uganda to plan a future strategy and address the issue of long-term sustainability of both enterprises. All agreed that this was a very successful visit.
Some Villages We Reach Out to Are Desperately Poor
October 8, 2019
The ambulance that IMET2000 purchased earlier this year from Japan is absolutely essential in our outreach programme to distant villages many of which are desperately poor. It is in constant use and so far running well often across rough tracks and lanes. The images here show you a very poor village in a lovely lakeside setting. All the treatments we offer are entirely free and the only health provision they have.
Message From Jimmy Banda in India
August 30,2019
My name is Jimmy Banda from Malawi and I am a registered student of an MSc degree in the Clinical Research programme at Sharda University, New Delhi, India. Currently I am in my first semester of a two year programme.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank Professor Colin and IMET2000 for selecting me as the recipient of the prestigious scholarship award towards my education.I feel very lucky and blessed to have been chosen by IMET2000 for this great honour.
I was raised in an extremely cash strapped low- class family of seven children and in a typical rural village. Although my parents have always emotionally supported my education dreams they can not help me pay for my university.But because of IMET2000 generosity my heavy financial load has been lightened. When I received the IMET 2000 Scholarship in the mail,I literally sat for a good thirty minutes with tears of joy. I could not believe that it was happening to me after so much hardship.
To me education is very important because I will be equipped with the power to make better decisions and improve the degree of citizen participation in affairs concerning my country Malawi.Upon completion of my MSc in Clinical Research at Sharda University ,I am very optimistic that I will have the potential to address many challenges that affect people of Malawi such as poverty,HIV and AIDS, malaria and food insecurity just to mention a few, as I will be able to work with the Government of Malawi to study individual and community behaviour and bring this together with basic biology in order to plan appropriate interventions that improve health. I will also be able to transfer research findings to policies leading to improved health of people in Malawi.
I would like to be a clinical researcher who will make a significant difference for patients and contribute to regional and national wide studies of underlying health issues.I would like to survey Malawian Communities and investigate ongoing trends in medical treatments and provide critical answers to medical concerns ,giving peace of mind to patients and family members.
I believe a systematic education at Sharda University will be vital for my future career as a clinical researcher in that it will allow me to incorporate India research and Malawi realities.I will be able to perform some creative work in reforming Malawi’s existing research system and make it serve a greater multitude of people.
I deem my study at Sharda University as a very meaningful part of my career trajectory and thank you Professor Colins and IMET2000 for making it possible through the scholarship and please do not down play the difference you have made . It means more than I can say. Jimmy
Visual Impairment Mission from Italy
August 19,2019
Herona Hospital was fortunate to have Dr Duccio and his team of optometrists from Vagnini in Florence visit and work in the new Eye Clinic over last weekend in one of our ‘Eye Camps’ They screened over 300 patients. After testing they gave out reading spectacles to those who needed them and sent off prescriptions for others; their glasses are already being made and will be provided free of charge. Many patients were found to have cataracts and glaucoma. We are planning a free cataract operation camp when all the operating theatre equipment arrives in October. Herona Hospital would like to extend a big thank you to Dr Duccio and his time.
Herona Hospital Departmental Report for July, 2019
August 1, 2019
Herona Hospitals Departmental Report for July 2019 demonstrates the incredible increase in patients coming through the door each month (near to 5000) and the variety of services being offered. Radiology/scan. =158 scans performed Laboratory worked on 658 patients, 289 were tested for HIV all those who were positive are counselled and treated with free ARVs General outpatients received = 4689 patients Eye clinic =321 of whom 189 had allergic conjunctivitis, squint = 1, photophobia 28, refractive error 17, cataract 41 and normal. 40 Referrals in= 214 Referrals out=32 (referred for X-ray and CT scan) After final meetings with Government MoH officials, the team are delighted to announce that HHL has been officially approved and will be supplied with free anti-retroviral drugs in the near future.Construction of the mortuary and incinerator is nearly complete, plastering is finished and the tiling has commenced.
Visual Impairment Outreach Clinic in Local School
July 23, 2019
As an extension of our new Eye Clinic and campaign to upgrade the service in visual impairment, Herona Hospital are stepping up the number of outreach clinics and concentrating more effort on assessing schoolchildren and treating them early enough to prevent deterioration.
IMET 2000 Travel Bursary Award
July 20, 2019
Dr Jimmy Banda who is a physician in Malawi has been awarded a scholarship by Sharda University School of Medicine to study in India for two years leading to an MSc in Clinical Research . Jimmy and his family are making a huge financial sacrifice to enable him to take up this offer. They are selling their own house and his wife and children are moving in with elderly parents whilst he is away in India. IMET has agreed to award him a travel bursary and scholarship of $3000 per year as we trust him to return with skills much needed in Malawi. We expect he will not only provide a much improved clinical service but take up an academic post in the School of Medicine in Blantyre and hence provide added value for students.
Children From the Local Blind School to Herona Eye Clinic
July 6, 2019
Children from the Kisoga Blind School now under the regular care of the Herona Hospital Eye Clinic checking in for examination and treatment of preventable blindness from conditions such as trachoma and onchocerciasis. This service is provided absolutely free.
Free Cervical Cancer Vaccination: Important School Visit
July 5, 2019
Cancer of the cervix (Ca Cx) is the most common gynaecological malignancy among women in Uganda contributing about 80% of all female malignancies. The incidence rate is 40:100 000. It is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in females in Uganda. Unfortunately, 80% of the patients present late and this makes treatment outcomes unsatisfactory. Most patients can only be treated with palliative care. With support from the government we carried out free immunisation of girls between 8 – 10 yrs against cervical cancer.
This vaccination provides lifetime protection against human papilloma virus responsible for causing cancer of the cervix.
This is why Herona Hospital Health Camp Clinics are vitally important.
Brun Bear Foundation Grant
June 25, 2019
We are grateful to the Brun Bear Foundation for a generous grant of £1000 toward a brand new infant incubator. This is a much needed addition to our maternal and baby health programmes.
Free Health Days
June 20, 2019
Herona Hospital have linked with remote village leaders and school head teachers to organise ‘health days’.On these health days, social workers and health practitioners travel to remote areas as far away as 50 km and provide free services including:
- HIV testing and counselling
- Eye tests
- Dental examinations and extractions
- Reproductive health
- Vaccinations
- Prenatal care and counselling.
The ambulance is proving absolutely invaluable for the outreach clinics and school visits.
Our Clinics Reach the Remote Villages
May 24, 2019
Outreach clinic for family planning and maternity health education. Our IMET funded ambulance is absolutely vital to the success of our outreach programme in which we sometimes drive over 50 km to a remote village which otherwise has no access to any health care.
Outreach Clinics Provides many Services for Residents
May 16, 2019
Outreach clinic in MPATTA: the latest outreach clinic was held in Mpatta. The PA system on the ambulance was able to alert people about the clinic well before arrival and described the services offered including free eye tests, free HIV testing and among many other tests and treatments. The service also now includes screening men over 40 for enlarged prostate. The three images provide some idea of the working conditions in these remote and economically challenged rural villages.
Phase 2 Basement Surgical Suite
May 16, 2019
We are delighted that the whole of the Phase 2 basement area construction is complete and both the Eye Clinic and the Surgical Operating Suite have been opened. As the latter is the only one in the area, we are delighted to report some very important work last week .
People from Ntenjeru Sub County and surrounding villages with breast adenomas, inguinal scrotal hernia, lipomas and other surgical conditions all had free treatment conducted by a team of Ugandan and visiting USA surgeons. All these operations were successful; the patients are fine with no post- operative complications. The entire community is grateful. The USA team were impressed by the facilities in the operating theatre and surprised we had at IMET expense built in air conditioning. They also expressed how impressed they were by the quality of our theatre nursing staff. At the end of their stay they indicated they would like to return as soon as in three months.
We hope they will be back to carry on the great work.
Eye Clinic at Herona Hospital
May 14, 2019
The first patients were admitted to the Eye Clinic on the 12th May, 2019 and in this photograph you can see a patient being examined through our slit-lamp. In other images you can see our new dedicated ophthalmic surgery theatre ready for the first patients at the end of July,2019 once equipment already being shipped from the UK has arrived. The fitting room has hundreds of spectacles already being supplied on a fitting trial and error basis. All of this will be upgraded in the next four months.
Herona Hospital Construction
May, 2019
Our man in Uganda Richard Field has put together an up to date series of images on You Tube showing the construction from April 2017 of the Herona Hospital project with the financial support of IMET2000.
Please click on to the link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gkrhuGn6K0 to follow this important piece of our history as a global charity. Garvin and Richard have planned this together so carefully with much support from Ugandan colleagues and input from their hospital staff.
Ambulance Working Through Extreme Conditions
May 12, 2019
Getting to remote villages is not always easy for our outreach clinics. Our ambulance is well able to cope with muddy and rough murram roads, lanes and in some cases paths to their destination as it has 4-wheel drive. It has already paid for its cost in lives saved (10 serious cases of road accidents per week on average). Another case of childbirth emergency was reported only last week. A pregnant woman from Katosi was given a scan on arrival at Herona Hospital. The pregnancy was 27 weeks but the scan showed a premature rupture of the membranes (PROM) . She explained she had already lost 3 babies to the same condition. Although we do have an incubator at HHL it was decided the baby would have a higher chance of survival at a larger city hospital with larger neo-natal unit. So she was taken with a midwife in the ambulance. On the way the mother pushed and the birth started. Luckily the ambulance is well equipped and has plenty of the room. The birth was carried out successfully and mother and baby are doing fine. Everyone could not be happier.
Successful Delivery of a Healthy Baby
April 28, 2019 A
caesarean section and successful delivery of a healthy baby in our small maternity theatre. We are much looking forward to greatly improved conditions when the new surgical suite opens in May in the Phase 2 basement.
Vaccination Programme Improving
April 20, 2019
Mothers waiting with babies for vaccination: the take-up on our vaccination programmes is improving significantly month by month through our publicity and outreach clinics.
The Phase 2 Basement at Herona Hospital
April 20, 2019
The Phase 2 basement construction and decoration is nearly complete and now needs to be equipped to modern standards. It will accommodate the Eye Clinic, a modern Surgical Operating Theatre Suite, a 10 bed High Dependency Ward, a modern X-Ray Suite complete with Philips X-Ray Machine and a large storage space.
Paul Bockett-Pugh is Fundraising for IMET2000 Activities in Africa
April 10, 2019
Paul Bockett-Pugh, a keen supporter of IMET’s work overseas , is running in the Paris 26 mile Marathon on Sunday 14th April and all sponsorship proceeds will go to our IMET Eye Clinic project in Uganda (https://www.herona.org).
For more information and if you wish to make a donation towards this cause please follow the link to Paul’s Just Giving page: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/paul-bockett-pugh1
The First Day of Service for the Ambulance of Herona Hospital
March 30, 2019
The first day of service for the ambulance proved crucial. A 65 year old man was attacked by robbers and stabbed in the lungs. He was bought to Herona Hospital where they treated him but his condition grew worse and after a scan it was discovered he had intra-abdominal bleeding and needed to be referred. At this point it would usually take around 4 hours to raise an ambulance and get to a Kampala hospital; the ambulances often carry no medical equipment and the patient would have probably died on the way. With our ambulance at the ready, fully equipped with oxygen and life support fluids, the patient was rushed to Kampala where he was successfully treated. Herona Hospital is so grateful to everyone who made this possible.
A MoH Delegation Visited our Hospital
March 13, 2019
We were very pleased to receive visitor’s from the Government last week. The visitors from the Ministry of Health were led by Dr Joseph Okware, who represented the Permanent Secretary. He was joined by the Mukono District Health Officer, Dr Elly Tumushabe, her Deputy, Mr Dumba Isaac, as well as senior officials in the local Health Sector, Mrs Musenero Samalie and Hon Lukyamuzi. Everyone was very impressed with the facility and the plans for the future. We have enjoyed excellent support and advice from all these friends in Mukono District and hope to have close links and support in future projects backed by the national Government.
Richard Introduction Party in Uganda
February 16, 2019
Our Man in Uganda has been engaged to Peace for some years and they have decided to get married. This is wonderful news. Peace is so supportive of all our IMET2000 work in Uganda and helps Richard get things done both in the Ebenezer Children’s Home and in Herona Hospital.
On Saturday 16th February they had a big celebration party known there as The Introduction and is what we would call an Engagement Party.
All of us in IMET2000 congratulate them on their joining together and wish them every happiness.
Hepatitis B Awareness Project in Companies
January 20, 2019
Herona Hospital has started a hepatitis B awareness project in schools, churches and companies as a method of primary prevention of hepatitis B. Garvin has been very busy giving awareness talks about hepatitis b and its long term effects on health. More than 2 billion people worldwide are estimated to have had hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and 350 million chronic carriers of the virus are at high risk of cirrhosis of the liver and primary liver cancer. HBV accounts for an estimated 500,000–700,000 annual deaths worldwide. It is a big problem in Uganda.
Programme to Defeat the TB Epidemic in Uganda
November 20, 2018
Herona Hospital is proud to now be a part of USAID Defeat TB, a 5 year project between 2017-2022 and linking different selected hospitals to Makerere University Medical School. The aim is to end the TB epidemic in Uganda by:
- Increasing screening and detection of all forms of TB
- Initiating complete treatments for all patients diagnosed with all forms of TB
- Ensuring strong community systems to support the continuum of TB prevention, screening, diagnosis, care and treatment
Enhancing leadership and technical capacity of the TB program at national and sub national levels to effectively guide and manage implementation of TB control activities. Herona Hospital would like to thank Mukono District Health Officer Dr Tumushabe Elly for linking us to this project.
Vaccines have been Provided for Babies at Herona Hospital
November 18, 2018
Through the Uganda Ministry of Health, Herona Hospital has been provided with vaccines and a dedicated refrigerator so that mothers will be able to have their babies vaccinated at regular intervals instead of waiting a full month as was the case previously. This has all come about with the help of the District Health Officer Dr Tumushabe Elly and Assistant District Health Officer, Mr Dumba Issac who is also officer in charge of child and maternal health. Herona Hospital would also like to thank Mr Sserunjoji district cold chain officer in charge of immunisation, who trained staff on how to handle the vaccines. All vaccines are provided by the government and are FREE. Efficient immunisation against a whole range of diseases including a programme for girls of 12-16 to prevent cervical cancer lays the foundations of all preventive medicine. This is one of the most important aims of our outreach clinics; spread the word to ensure a high % take-up.
Blood Bank at Herona Hospital, Uganda
October 21, 2018
Herona Hospital staff are pleased to announce that after an inspection by the quality assistance officers from the Uganda National Transfusion Services, they are now stocking blood. This is hugely important to the area as getting blood up until now has meant long expensive journeys to Kampala. Everyone’s very excited for the ability to offer this new service.
The King’s Visit to Herona Hospital
October 7, 2018
Ronald Muwenda Mutebi Il, Kabaka of the Kingdom of Buganda came to visit Herona Hospital on October 7th. It was the culmination of a lot of hard work and the biggest day yet for the hospital and everyone involved. As well as meeting the staff and patients at the hospital the king planted a tree and laid the foundation stone for the brand new eye clinic. Crowds gathered to see the king and TV stations from all over Uganda were present.
London to Brighton Cycle Ride
September 16, 2018
Kathy Green and Dan Morris triumphant at the end of their cycle ride from London to Brighton. They completed in 5 hours. With 93 generous donors they exceeded their target and raised over £8000 toward the much needed ambulance in Herona Hospital.
Progress on the Phase Two Building
September 16, 2018
Really strong foundations are now being built with IMET2000 financial support so that in Phase Two construction two stories can be built up if financial resources allow. These will cost at most £18,000.
Herona Hospital Pharmacy
September 9, 2018
IMET2000 funded the pharmacy to be completely stocked for a month supply at a cost of £5000. We were assured that the profit on sales would not only allow complete re-stocking each month but would help fund the staff salaries too. This has indeed proved to be the case.
Herona Eyecare Clinic
August 5, 2018
The present Eye Clinic is very basic and modestly equipped but provides a limited service to the region and a population of some 200,000 people. IMET2000 is raising funds urgently to build a state of the art Eye Clinic and open for a full service by March 2019.
Car Park for Herona Hospital
July 3, 2018
In the wet season, the front of the hospital was a mudbath so IMET2000 spent £5000 to create a decent tarmac car park and approach as shown in this latest photo.
Eschmann J3 Surgical Operating Table
June 19, 2018
This Eschmann J3 surgical operating table has been donated by a kind anonymous donor and has been shipped to Herona Hospital in Uganda.
The First premature Baby in the Incubator
April 28, 2018
This is the very first premature baby in the incubator that Kathy Green funded and provided a few weeks ago.
The Opening Ceremony of Herona Hospital
February 17, 2017
On February 17 th, Colin Green and his community nurse daughter Kathy joined in the celebrations to officially open Phase One of the new Rural Hospital, Herona Hospital, largely built with IMET2000 funding since May, 2017. Just 20 out of the planned 40 beds in a woman’s ward have been completed and are full with patients. This is a private not-for-profit hospital serving a population of roughly 300,000 people in a rural community in Kisoga town, Mukono District, and now needs new equipment and more fully qualified staff. The photo shows Colin cutting the tape for the official opening. Over 1000 people including MPs and local dignitaries attended and joined in a very happy celebration. IMET 2000 is now raising funds for the equipment and medicines and ensure future viability. Richard Field flew out to Uganda at the end of December and amongst all the projects he had to deal with since, he has organised a full-time job in dressmaking for Harriet and is about to build her a small home where she can live independently with dignity and privacy as a severely handicapped person. IMET2000 goes on supporting needy individuals as well as funding major projects like the Herona Hospital soon to be opened by Colin Green in Uganda on the 17th February. What a privilege!
Herona Hospital Latest Updates
2017
IMET2000 is delighted with rapid progress in construction of the Herona Hospital with our financial support but at amazingly low cost. We expect the first patients to come through the doors in mid-September. Now we have to equip it and are writing grant applications and fundraising for that. Eventually it will have 40 beds and serve a population of some 200,000 in a region with massive problems with malaria, infant/maternal mortality and HIV/AIDS. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8B5gPnyGL0&feature=youtu.be IMET2000 has just awarded a grant of £7000 from its ring-fenced Uganda account to pay for the roof of part of the new hospital in Herona we are helping build. In one photo you can see the unroofed part of the hospital as work in progress and in the other the new roof under construction. The sooner this roof gets completed, the sooner the inner walls and brickwork will be protected from the heavy rains now hitting the area.
A Merry Update from Ghana
2017
Our IMET2000 ‘Lady in Ghana’ Sarah Gardner has just returned from Ghana after getting married to her great friend Habib Albeboure who manages her charity ATE in Lawra in Upper Ghana. We are all delighted for them both and congratulate them on this wonderful event. Colin has known Sarah since she was two years old and now she is Mrs Albeboure!
Herona Updates
April 2017
Our Uganda representative Richard Field returned last week after nearly three months of field work and has come back with an exciting set of pioneering ideas to add to those already supported by IMET2000 over the past three years. The Ebenezer Kisoboka Children’s Home is in good shape building wise and no new buildings are planned. Four new children have been transferred from another home on an island in Lake Victoria and the numbers in EK are up to 20 with ages ranging from 5 to 20 years. Richard has found sponsors for nearly all these children and about £1000 are transferred to the UORF stakeholders and Trustees by IMET2000 every 4 months. The solar panels and bio-digester are working well and Harriet is making good progress in her needlework training classes. Admittance to the EK Children’s Home is now carefully controlled and if children in need can be funded to stay at home with family yet still attend school then we help fund that option instead. Richard is now keen to expand that micro-environment into a regional framework in which better schools, a health clinic on land already purchased, and a non-Governmental hospital will be built and supported by his efforts and part aided by IMET2000. In time we hope to train some of our EK children in nursing and other health care disciplines and purchase an ambulance to service both the clinic and hospital . Attached are images of the hospital under construction. IMET2000 is committed to part fund the roof and wall plastering of the next phase and hope to complete that within 6 weeks. We are urgently raising funds to pay for this ambitious programme.
Harriet and the Sewing Machine
January 12, 2017
Although severely disabled, Harriet sets a wonderful example to the younger children in the Ebenezer Home by her happy personality and determination to succeed in her dressmaking programme. She is taking more advanced lessons and IMET2000 provide the materials she needs to develop her skills.
Our Man Richard Field is Back in Uganda
February 10, 2017
Richard Field went back to Uganda a week ago to find the Children’s Home in really good shape. Unfortunately, Uganda is suffering a severe drought this year, and the rainy seasons never came. Everyone’s gardens has suffered including ours. All the work preparing the ground and planting have come to nothing. What has grown is being used as cow feed (photo). To make matters worse food is becoming expensive. On the upside the rainwater harvesting tanks we installed last year have collected what rain we had and we still have 15,000 litres in our tanks. We hope it rains soon for everyone’s sake . The new children have settled in well and are very happy in the home (photo).
New Children at Ebenezer Kiboko
January 10, 2016
Our ‘Man in Uganda’, Richard Field and everyone at the Ebenezer Kiboko Children’s Home are very excited about the arrival of three new children. They were selected by our local Ugandan internal board and arrived this week. We are in the process of getting them new bedding, anti-mosquito nets and clothes. They have been enrolled into school and are very happy to be at EK. We have also sent more clothes for the other children and staff. In the photos, Ronald is shown in grumpy mode and then one happy boy!
Return of Richard Field from Uganda
March 16, 2016
Our Man in Uganda, Richard Field, has just got back to the UK after working in the Ebenezer Children’s Home for three months. Whilst there he carried out more restoration work on the buildings and discussed with senior staff in the home new ways of functioning in the future and expanding the Home not just with more young children but as a respite centre for other children with disabilities currently with one or both parents struggling financially. He also formulated plans for building homes on the 4 acres nearby that he purchased with his own money and eventually constructing a building for a health clinic to serve the local villages. In fact he has come back full of ideas for a new project to run alongside the residential home in which children will be kept at home in their own community but helped in education, school uniforms, books , mosquito nets and other necessities ….in other words the Ebenezer Home will be a kind of hub to many more children outreached and they will interact but not necessarily spend time in residence. IMET2000 is keen to support this experiment in psychosocial development for very poor families and develop the health centre.
Sarah Gardner News from Ghana
January 12, 2016
Our colleague Sarah Gardner who is CEO of the charity ‘Action Through Enterprise’ (ATE) has just completed a six week working visit to Lawra in Upper Ghana and has sent us this video clip of the special needs programme that IMET2000 is part supporting. Sarah’s Mother, Philippa Gardner, who was an NHS Consultant Psychotherapist specialising in Cognitive Analytic Therapy for the Wessex region joined her for part of this tour of duty in Ghana and we in IMET2000 look forward to tapping in to her vast experience of child and adolescent mental health problems resulting from extreme economic deprivation to help us in our programmes in Africa and Palestine. The video can be accessed via the following link: (as below). We applaud the SNAP programme as yet another successful way of challenging prejudice and taboos against all forms of physical and mental disability and trauma. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZh2a9ThDcw
Ebenezer Home Solar Panels
September, 2015
Our IMET2000 ‘Man in Uganda’ Richard Field has just returned from a three month working stay in the Ebenezer Home near Kisoto. Richard really is a remarkable man and goes out there to work entirely at his own expense and achieves so much on each visit. We reported earlier on the safari they went on right at the start of his stay and what he has achieved in the last few weeks since then is really impressive. With our mission to make the home a self-sufficient and self-sustaining social unit, IMET2000 sponsored solar panels which are now fully operational and provide adequate lighting for the children to do their homework as well as light up the whole community. In addition, Richard purchased 4 acres of good productive land at his own expense so that 2 cows and garden produce can provide a decent basic diet for the children. The new cow he bought on arrival is milking well. He built a new and substantial ‘cow house’ as well as a workroom where tools can be kept and shoes made for sale in the local village.
Ebenezer Orphanage Safari Trip
July, 2015
These young people in the Ebenezer orphanage had never been outside their village so this safari into Queen Elizabeth National Game park was their first journey across Uganda. They were so excited. And although Uganda still has plenty of wild animals in its National Parks, these people had never ever seen one in their lives. So again it was a huge experience for them to see lions, hippopotamus, baboons, elephants, zebras, giraffes and many kinds of antelope. They said on return home that it was the best three days of their life. IMET2000 is so keen to support this mini-society as it caters for an age range of 6 up to 18, helps them become self- supporting within the home and then maintains contact when they leave the orphanage by finding work locally and providing microfinance to help them start up small businesses and shops in the nearby town. They are lovely people and a joy to be with.
2014 IMET2000 Grants & Donations for Africa
Uganda, January, 2014
A grant of £4000 has been made by IMET2000 to the Uganda Biogas Project in which we are helping an orphanage called Ebenezer Kisoboko near Lake Victoria in Uganda. A friend called Richard Field has taken it on as a project to make it as near self sufficient as possible with a home made biogas reactor, solar powered lighting, horticulture, livestock and micro-financed craft businesses . Disease prevention (particularly personal hygiene and anti-malaria netting) is a major feature of the project. Our aim is to ensure the children have better lighting to do their homework, have a gas supply (methane from the biodigester) for cooking and a more balanced diet to improve their health. The success of this project we anticipate will lead to it being used as a model throughout Uganda for similar sized social units of young people. Two of our orphans now hope to become healthcare professionals and need sponsorship for the future. Information is available from dickfield@hotmail.co.uk.
2014 IMET2000 Grants & Donations for Africa
Ghana, January, 2014
A grant of £4000 has been made by IMET2000 to the UK based charity Action Through Enterprise (ATE) to help our colleague and CEO of ATE, Sarah Gardner, working out the in the poorest area of Ghana to fund a project for disabled and handicapped children as well as run schemes to improve the health and nutrition of children in a desperately poor community. Sarah and her parents run this small charity on a shoestring but achieve amazing results with the children. IMET2000 is delighted to help such a dedicated person as Sarah to make such an impact on the overall health of a small village and create a model of health and education which can be wheeled out across the region. For more information see their website www.ateghana.org.