Running on Empty

Christian Mission hospitals & clinics depend highly on donations of medical equipment to survive.   Generally there is no budget for capital improvements of hospital whether it be facilities or much needed equipment.  

One of the greatest challenges of a mission hospital is to provide highest standard of care with excellent equipment  but also to serve the poor by providing affordable care.  It is a compliment to Kijabe Hospital that patients often come from Nairobi bypassing larger more modern facilities to receive care in a mission setting because of 1) the Christian caring/compassionate staff to the patients regardless of race or tribe 2) excellent high quality care 3) well known fact that it is very affordable.

This past several weeks we have been very thankful for the arrival of much needed donated items.  Sara and I personally welcomed after nearly 8 months 3 heavy trunks of donated ob/gyn operative kits and various dental instruments.  The items were packed months before we left and sent via ship to West Africa and just arrived last week via Air Courier to Samaritan's Purse Headquarters in Nairobi.  We had almost forgot what we had packed inside these trunks.

Kijabe (as you can see in the pictures) received a truck full of donated items collected and packed at Samaritan's Purse Headquarters in Boone, NC.  I was told they were sent nearly one year ago via ship to Mombassa on the coast of Kenya.  You can see the men unloading a much needed general anesthetic machine (I believe 3 in total arrived).   I'm not sure what is included in the box the gentleman is throwing although the box reads, "Do not Crush" on the side.

Regardless, it seems like we are always missing something and this will keep us from running on empty.