News & Events

In April/May 2017 three UK doctors from UCL spent their 'elective' at Urambo Hospital providing much needed extra support there, as well as gaining hugely themselves from the experience.

FUM organised their time in and transport from Dar es Salaam on arrival from UK. They stayed at nearby Urambo FDC, hosted by the long-standing housekeeper Mama Morro who is well used to overseas visitors such as FUM Officers Jo and Richard in November 2016.

Read Adam and Jane's reports of their 2017 Elective Placement

When FUM started supporting this clinic, as well as general outpatient services the clinic provides a good range of maternity services, also Immunisation and Child Health care. HIV programmes include Testing and Counselling and the prevention of mother-to-child transmission.

Just two enrolled nurses provide these services, compared with the government recommended roll of 15 staff, so they are kept very busy. For outreach work they have support from two community health workers.

The clinic is 45 km north-east of Urambo town, with half the road tarmac the rest rough dirt. There is one mobile phone network.

Most of the local citizens are farmers and pastoralists who grow maize, rice, groundnuts, tobacco and keep cows and goats.

The single building contains rooms for consultations, antenatal and family planning with a separate room for maternal labour and deliveries. There is a pharmacy with vaccination fridge.

After a five hour drive from Urambo we found this large clinic to be in pretty good condition, with the government funded improvements nearing completion. There is a medical officer and two nurses though one was on leave. Solar panels provide power for lighting and, unusually, the vaccine fridge. The large entrance area gives an excellent waiting area and is also used for public health displays and talks.

There are three maternal delivery beds. The 4-year old German-made one has been problem free whereas the much newer but rather flimsy Chinese ones have already needed several repairs.

Water is still a big problem. The clinic has to pay for it to be brought from the top of a 100m high hill about 1 km away - bizarre ! With the help of an anonymous donor FUM is paying for the clinic's large roof area to harvest rainwater into a new 96,000 litres subterranean concrete tank. A solar pump will raise the water as needed into a 2000 litre plastic tank for filling containers. Villagers started the manual digging for the concrete tank early in 2018 with completion of the scheme expected by April.

Nick Vinall
FUM Treasurer

The clinic and nearby maternity unit were in good condition with a plentiful supply of water and adequate staffing. The Primary School, as elsewhere, suffered from poor maintenance and overlarge classes

Nick Vinall
FUM Treasurer

The government funds awarded mean the clinic is in good condition including the solar powered lighting. The staff houses nearby however are still in poor condition.

The big problem is water which the clinic has to buy. The closest reliable sources are nearly 2km away, namely Lake Sagara and a dangerous open well. FUM's water consultants, Mr Lucky and Mr Godfrey, together with the Kaliua district water engineer are working on an ambitious plan for a solar powered pumping system to supply water to the village and the clinic. The estimated cost of £15,000 will be shared equally between FUM and Kaliua district.

Nick Vinall
FUM Treasurer

The two shallow wells were refurbished by FUM in 2015 and 2016 and looked in good condition but both were dry for the first time in seven years. The clinic was still in good condition after being repainted by Cranbrook School students in 2015 and the ceiling repaired in 2016.

The head teacher at the primary school is interested in having a link with Bere Alston PS in Devon but communication is not easy.

The borehole water passed its safety tests at the government laboratory in Arusha, the well has been capped and is now 'live' with a hand pump. Villagers are delighted.

The girls' dormitory is now at capacity with 32 girls living there, enabling them to attend he secondary school.
Nick Vinall
FUM Treasurer

After the failures in 2016 to find water by drilling, our advisors recommended a large rainwater harvesting scheme and work began in summer 2017. When I visited in September the walls of the 50,000 litre tank had been built and were ready for the domed roof .

This has now been completed and the tank passed its 'leak test'. The guttering and connection from the large roof of the adjacent primary school were completed and the tank became operational just in time for the autumn rains.

The clinic is also benefiting from a government award for 'good performance'.
We saw work in progress tiling the floor and walls of some rooms, making them much easier to keep clean and hygienic.

Nick Vinall
FUM Treasurer

The FUM borehole and pump, completed in 2016, were still giving good water despite the drought. The doctor’s house was looking good after work by FUM, and the patients’ new toilets at the clinic were nearing completion. The clinic was being upgraded with a government RBF grant.

Nick Vinall
FUM Treasurer

This Gillett clinic from 1983 was in very good condition thanks to the RBF grant. Storage arrangements for medicines were excellent, the best we saw. John Gillett would have been proud of ‘his’ clinic.

We were entertained with a very imaginative song and dance routine by children and women, neatly including a musical ‘wish list’ for future support from FUM !

Nick Vinall
FUM Treasurer