We greatly appreciated Ann visiting for a week to advise on
our planning for a new Mental Health Unit.
We are the only non-government hospital to run a mental health service,
treating patients who are often marginalized and in desperate need.
Management have identified a site for the new
Unit. Nancy, who heads up the service
here, together with Ann and others in the team spent time hearing the views of
patient groups, relatives and Staff as to what was going to be important in the
new Unit. We have drawn up some initial
provisional plans and Ann will work on these with architect colleagues and fee
back ideas to us. It is special to have
a “blank canvas” rather than having to convert an exisiting building.
Many of you who followed our blog last year will recall the
tragic story of the death of Jamie, the son of Avril and Jim who had come to
Kisiizi to raise support for our psychiatric service. Ann is the sister of Avril so it was really
special to have her here particularly as it coincided with the first
anniversary of Jamie’s death and we were able to go and pray together next to
the site of the new Unit. Avril and Jim
have wonderfully worked to set up a fund in memory of Jamie and will be
establishing a formal charity. They have
already raised support for a mental health vehicle which will allow more trips
into the community to provide support to these patients, and now are focusing
on the funding for the new Unit. You can read more about this by following the link below:
We are excited to see psychiatry, often the "Cinderella" specialty, getting this focus and support and we anticipate that it will lead to something very special indeed.
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