Medical Center
Dr. Chacha speaks:
“When I was a young boy, I remember women dying in childbirth because there was no doctor to help. I remember people dying from water-borne and contagious diseases that could have been easily cured with routine medical care. Not much has changed in this area and many women and children continue to die due to lack of medical care.
In 2005, a delegation from my home village of Ntagacha, Tanzania approached me with a letter requesting that Teamwork Ministries help them to have a clinic. When we saw this need, we were not sure that we would be able to meet it but when I shared this vision with Pastor Michael Thomas of Love and Faith Christian Fellowship (Greensboro, North Carolina) he encouraged me to proceed. With their encouragement and financial support, we were able to build this medical center. They provided around 90% of the funds that went toward this project. They are continuing to stand with us, supporting the operations, sending provisions and a medical team. Other major supporters are: The Lighthouse Church of Kuwait, John Macfarlane and Jeff Myers. Saint Luke’s Episcopal church provided for the medical staff housing.
We are happy to announce that Tumaini Medical Center has been built and was partially opened at a clinic level in February 2012 as part of Teamwork City of Hope. The operations will be increased in July. The official opening will be in December. When fully operational, it will include a ward for women and children, an area for training in infant care, and health and hygiene in addition to the clinic.
We continue to seek more supporters to help us move forward in building a lab and a nurses training center and to help us equip our building with needed furniture and other equipment. We need $40,000 to fully equip this medical center (this amount can be greatly reduced by donated building materials, equipment and supplies). We are also looking for partners to help with the operations budget for the medical center. We are delighted to have Dr. Ty Hopkins join us as our medical director. We have hired an experienced medical officer and several nurses who will help to train others.
The Tumaini Medical Center:
- Provides health care in a region where there was none.
- Hosts medical mission teams periodically who will provide specialized services that are otherwise unavailable.
- Will reduce infant mortality and maternal death due to complications in childbirth (at the birthing center).
- Is helping to reduce the devastation and premature death due to waterborne and other infectious diseases.
- Provides treatment of AIDS-related illnesses as well as AIDS education and counseling by trained professionals.
If you have access to medical equipment and supplies that can be donated, please help us. We desire, not only to supply the Tumaini Medical Center but to help other hospitals and clinics in the area that are greatly underequipped. We also need help with shipping expenses.
We also encourage medical volunteers to come and help on both a short-term and long-term basis.
