Trustees visit March 2025

 

My husband Richard and I visited Murambinda Mission Hospital for 1 week in March 2025 on behalf of FMH. We both worked in Murambinda from 1994 -1996. I was last there in 2020, but Richard’s last visit was in 2008, so much had changed, but many things were the same.

There was still the famous traditional welcome at 7.30am prayers. It still wonderfully sunny and temperatures at the end of March very pleasant although only a few weeks ago would have been too hot for us. Some of the nurses who we worked with in the 1990’s are still working, now in senior positions, and so it felt like a homecoming.

Our remit was to maintain good relationships (Zoom is no substitute for spending time with people in the flesh) and review projects that FMH have funded. We also wanted to listen to staff and hear about the challenges they face and gain a greater understanding of where FMH should best direct our resources.

We were given unbridled access to all areas and were encouraged to speak to all key personnel and department heads as well as the Murambinda Hospital Board chairperson. We also talked to the doctors and nurses and students and nurse aides, administrators and kitchen staff. We found everyone to be very welcoming and open and willing to tell us about the hospital, what is working well and what they would really like FMH to help with. In our lodging in the mission grounds, we experienced firsthand the effects of prolonged power cuts and there not being any water for 48 hours at a time.

Everyone we spoke to expressed their gratitude to the Friends of Murambinda Hospital. On the first morning I gave a short presentation about FMH and how we raise our funds and John Miller’s virtual sponsored cycle ride from Lands End to John O’Groats and Bill Colombi’s 75 dawn hikes up Roseberry Topping really made an impression. To know that people in the UK care and want to help people in faraway Zimbabwe is really appreciated.

I was invited to give feedback on our findings, and we encountered a real willingness to discuss the issues raised.

First and foremost, we were overwhelmingly impressed. We can say with certainty that every penny sent to Murambinda Mission Hospital is well-used and accounted for. The hospital is managed by thoughtful caring people who really want to do their best for the very poor population they serve. There are many barriers and it often a struggle to pay the bills. They never have enough medicines or equipment and there are frequent power cuts. They are woefully under-resourced and face many difficult decisions about how best to treat people. The management team and doctors and nurses work well together to find solutions e.g. how to manage a cholera outbreak that goes on for 3 months and how to respond to a growing older population and still meet everyone’s needs.

We found many areas that FMH can help with. Working solar power to the maternity department will save money if the generator isn’t needed to be switched on as much and a baby may not need to be delivered by the light of a mobile phone. In the nurse training school students are often forced to cook on wood and study by torchlight and cannot access the internet which seriously hampers their studies. Other needs include ongoing maintenance to the hospital, possibly expanding the operating theatres to provide a wider range of procedures e.g. hernia repairs to those who cannot afford to go to the big cities, replacing the plastic cover on the polytunnel so food can be grown to feed the patients a more varied diet.  Also, essential equipment for the care of the sick newborn like an incubator etc. etc. As you might imagine the list is enormous.

Our visit has certainly inspired us to continue the work of FMH and on behalf of everyone at Murambinda Mission Hospital, who were most insistent I pass this on, I thank all our donors for their love and support.

Please be aware that this visit was entirely at our own expense. All donations to FMH are used to support the hospital as the trustees cover all administrative costs themselves and the charity has no paid staff.