Your Donation Makes a Big Difference
We greatly appreciate your donation. Your donation, no matter how big or small, helps the community of Mwandi in a meaningful way.
Past Projects
Mwandi Hospital American Partners (MHAP) along with Global Giving helped to raise funds to provide clean water to the Mwandi Hospital, To provide clean water for people in Zambia, Botswana, and Namibia.
About the Water Project
Clean Water Project
Through generous donations, Mwandi Hospital American Partners has been able to fund incredible, life-sustaining projects.
About the Clean Water Project
The American Partners Water Project was initiated to supply the hospital facilities with clean running water with sufficient water pressure for healthcare staff to wash hands between patients, to clean equipment and to wash and sanitize the entire hospital environment. For many years, the Mwandi hospital water system was not able to provide sufficient clean water to meet the healthcare needs of its patients.
Mwandi Hospital American Partners have purchased all equipment for the new water system. The old reticulation system that supplied all hospital buildings was installed in 1930. This system was completely excavated. Numerous problems were discovered during the excavation that necessitated removal and replacement of the entire system. Four large water tanks were purchased and delivered to Mwandi, awaiting placement on the banks of the river. They will be elevated on large, reinforced steel pedestals supported by eight concrete columns supported by steel bar frames were buried at a depth of 2 meters and covered with a 6-inch concrete slab to provide stabilization and added strength.
The project has been on hold since the advent of the COVID pandemic because of the inability to get remaining materials to Mwandi. As soon as the materials arrive, the construction of the steel scaffolding will commence and will be topped by a steel platform that will hold the tanks. Water from the river will be filtered for large particles at the ground level and then pumped into the tanks. A UV filter will purify the water after it leaves the tanks and before it is delivered to the hospital. The projected time for completion of the water project is early 2022.
Renovation of Main Hospital Building
The first healthcare facility in Mwandi was established in 1902 by a missionary doctor named Reutter. The small medical clinic provided consultations and operations primarily for European missionaries and their families. By 1927, the clinic consisted of an operating block, pharmacy, office and one room with patient beds. Few facility improvements were made until the 1990s when churches from the U.S. partnered with the United Church of Zambia to bring electricity to the hospital and to build a much larger facility that included male, female, and children’s wards, a surgical theatre and a labor and delivery room. A major renovation of this structure was completed in 2015 by the American Partners. This renovation improved ventilation, lighting, and patient oversight by healthcare staff, improving patient outcomes. The remodeled building consists of the 3 wards, an emergency room, an intensive care room, and support facilities, including a reception and waiting area at the main entrance. Wards are separated from a main hallway that runs the length of the building by half walls. This design allows nurses at stations along the length of the corridor to have full view of all beds and allows the ventilation design of the building to work efficiently.
Strategic Planning and New Hospital Incinerator
The 2017 strategic plan, established by the MMH in collaboration with the American Partners, established ten-year goals for the Mwandi hospital, including transitioning the hospital to a specialty hospital with Level 2 status. Later that year, an implementation plan for the strategic plan was developed and approved by the hospital’s local board. The implementation plan designated the American Partners as the major funder for the capital projects that will be needed to help the hospital to obtain Level 2 status.
The requirements for becoming a specialty training site and the goals necessary for achieving a Level 2 designation are determined by the Health Professionals Council of Zambia. Many of the steps needed to achieve Level 2 status include upgrading and expanding the physical plant and obtaining specialty equipment for the hospital. The first step for addressing the hospital’s physical plant were building a new incinerator for hospital waste and developing a new master plan. Responding to this need, the American Partners built a new incinerator for the hospital on a back corner of the hospital’s property. The incinerator became functional in 2019.
Master Plan
Developing a new master plan for the facilities is a necessary step toward achieving Level 2 status for the hospital. A master plan that will help us predict the health care needs of the Western Province of Zambia for the next 20 years and allow us to determine the most efficient and effective relationships for all functions of a Level 2 hospital. The plan will address which existing structures can be repurposed or remodeled and what new facilities need to be constructed. A completed master plan will also allow us to plan for additional solar power needs, as well as needs for other utilities or maintenance capabilities for supporting new hospital functions.
The American Partners are happy to report that we have engaged Paul Ndhlovu of PNA Architects Zambia to assist with the creation of the new master plan. He visited Mwandi on several occasions. During those visits, he interviewed many of the hospital staff and the local board to discuss their ideas for future hospital facility’s needs. Mr. Ndhlovu also discussed the standards and regulations that must be incorporated into the plan with local authorities. Everyone is looking forward to reviewing the documents produced by Mr. Ndlovu in the new year.