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| September
2013 Report - New arrangements with CoRSU and a volunteer
physiotherapist for Acheru |
| I’ve told
you recently about some of the problems caused by increased
patient numbers, particularly for northern Uganda. We’ve
been able to avoid having to turn serious cases away by making
arrangements with CoRSU, the hospital where we make our surgical
referrals, to send patients direct to them when Acheru is full.
We’re also looking at how to deal with transporting
increased numbers from the north, and I’ve asked the Acheru
staff to look at various options for dealing with this. Despite
the practical difficulties I can assure you as donors that no
child is being turned away because of cost. We’re obviously
trying to work as cost effectively as possible, but I’ve
been able to reassure the Acheru staff that they will continue
to deal with every child in a way appropriate to their need, and
no one in urgent need of help will be turned away. Of course our
costs have risen significantly, but you have enabled us to cope
with this. |
| Then there’s
the increased burden on the staff – with Acheru, with the
increased numbers, and also in the community with the problems I’ve
mentioned before of not only finding children, but persuading
families to release them for treatment. At Acheru they are
considering what additional help is needed, and whether someone
helping with finance and administration, for example, would
release Joyce and Harriet for other work. We do now have some
more medical help – Luke Dick, a young physiotherapist from
here, has just arrived at Acheru, intending to work there as a
volunteer for six months. We also now have a new social worker,
Rose, enabling them to develop community work. |
| The growth in
patient numbers, and demands on the staff and finance, means it’s
time to take a fresh look at everything we are doing, and how we
prepare for the future. As well as striving to maintain medical
standards, we don’t want to lose the Christian ethos of
Acheru, or the ‘family’ atmosphere which is so
important to us. |
| I hope to have
more news on all this soon, meanwhile please keep everyone
involved in your prayers as we prepare for the future. |
| Brian Dorman |
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