January 22, 2007
What makes a hospital?
New laundry building at Mulanje Mission Hospital.
I used to give a talk called “Hospital
101” and told people that an autoclave makes a hospital.
An autoclave is a machine that sterilizes medical instruments
and linen so that doctors can perform operations and have clean
deliveries. Every hospital needs a working autoclave, and two
working ones are preferable, in case one breaks down.
Imagine a hospital where employees washed all
the dirty sheets, linen, towels, and gowns by hand, and then,
when it isn’t raining, hung the wet items out to dry. Would
this really be a hospital? Until now, Mulanje Mission Hospital,
where I have worked for the past eight years, has been doing just
that.
Mulanje Mission Hospital for the first time has a washer. Until
now, all clothes and linens were washed by hand.
Now, with the construction of a new laundry
building and the purchase of an industrial washer and dryer, a
new era is dawning. Believe me, some of us are really excited
about this development, including the women who used to wash everything
by hand.
At Mulanje Mission Hospital we continue to improve
our services. With the addition of an electric washer and dryer,
we anticipate that our electricity bills will increase. We are
not planning to increase the charges to our patients for medicines
and services. We are trusting that our “Support a Hospital
Bed” program will be continuing to help us pay those monthly
electricity bills!
Sue
The 2007 Mission Yearbook for Prayer &
Study, p. 337 |
