Medical Centre

Mission statement ..

• Wellspring’s mission is to provide health care to children up to the age of 18 years in Kamutuuza and nearby communities, aiming to improve their quality and quantity of life:
• To be achieved through child health screening and general health care, vaccination programmes and minor injuries, acute malaria care, community outreach work and AIDS support, and health education.
• Wellspring is to be a place of excellence providing world standard health care and health education to all children, regardless of their social background or religious beliefs.
• The founders, Just Care, (UK charity no 1063998), strongly advocate the basic rights of all children to survival, development, protection and support.
• The foundation of the work of Wellspring is based on the Christian belief that God loves and wants the very best for all children. Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.” Luke 18v16

The Wellspring Medical Centre

• COMPRISES
  • 3 clinic rooms,
  • admin office,
  • dressings room,
  • vaccination clinic,
  • laboratory,
  • pharmacy & medical records,
  • waiting areas, ,
  • acute malaria day case ward,
  • antenatal clinic
• PROVIDING
  • child health screening programmes,
  • general health care,
  • vaccination programmes,
  • a minor injuries facility,
  • HIV & AIDS services (under development)
  • Maternity care (under development)
  • laboratory services,
  • a day case unit to treat, observe and, when necessary, refer acute malaria sufferers,
  • pharmaceutical supplies.
  • Any serious injuries or sicknesses will be referred and transferred to the larger local health facilities.
  • Proposals for the provision of antenatal services are presently being presented to the Ugandan medical committee and UK trustees.
  • However, since this is a community based project the main emphasis of the work revolves around an outreach programme. This programme is facilitated by community health workers who follow up any children having been treated for more serious complaints in the clinics, take drugs and basic supplies into the villages, provide health education and advice on health and hygiene issues relevant to each case, and report back to a supervisor on results and any further problems which they may encounter An ambulance was shipped to Kamutuuza in 2009 and is being used to provide outreach vaccination clinics, health education and distribution of mosquito nets and drugs to children and carers in outlying areas, as well as being used for emergency transfer of patients to Masaka or Kitovu Hospitals.
  • Since preventative medicine is so very important health education is seen to be another essential part of the work of Wellspring. As well as the information provided through the community health workers a health education programme is has been developed and taught at both Bexhill and Tower schools. Health education seminars are provided by visiting medical teams.

Staffing and Administration ..

A local medical committee has been set up comprising of senior health workers and community workers from the Masaka Health District, who, together with Dr Hutchinson, (UK trustee and medical advisor to Just Care) administer the day to day running of the centre and advise on any future developments. The chairman of this committee is Dr Stuart Musisi, the head of the Medical Directorate of the Masaka Health District. The committee is answerable to the Bishop of the West Bugandan diocese, Bishop Samuel Kamya.

All Wellspring staff are Ugandan, comprising of a nursing administrator, a clinical officer, two state enrolled nurse, one nursing assistant, a laboratory technician, driver, cleaners and guard. 10 community health workers work as volunteers on a regular basis.

Wellspring is registered with the Ugandan Health Department as a grade 3 health facility.

Medical team from the UK assist in clinics, teaching and special programmes 2 – 3 times a year.

Funding

A total of £125,000 has been raised since 2005 to enable the building and running of the medical centre, with an additional £50,000 of goods having been shipped to Kamutuuza to equip the centre and provide health and hygiene goods. Medical equipment has also been provided for the local referral hospitals.

These funds and goods have been provided by donations from individuals, small businesses, churches, schools, Rotary clubs, NHS trusts, GP surgeries; together with various fund raising projects, fun runs, car boot sales, cycle runs etc.

Just Care has raised a further £30,000 in 2009 to enable the running of the medical centre in 2010. This will cover the costs of utilities, staff wages, pharmaceutical and medical supplies. A further £40,000 is to be raised in 2010 to enable the development of the maternity services and outreach work and the running costs for 2011.

NOTE: Wellspring has now been operational for over two years and it has already had a tremendous impact on the lives of children within the local villages. Over 10,000 children have attended the clinics since opening, over 1,000 have been admitted onto the acute day ward, most having  been successfully treated for malaria and thousands more have been provided with vaccinations and health care though the wellspring out reach programme. Patient through put is increasing monthly as news of the benefits of health care at wellspring spreads through the villages.