Window on Kisiizi

Window on Kisiizi

Sunday 5 August 2012

Mental Health service plans...


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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