October 2015
Dear Partners and Friends in Ministry,
I bring you heartfelt greetings from the Ganta Hospital family located in Ganta, Liberia, serving a population of more than 450,000. At the end of this update is a link to watch a very short video greeting from me, on behalf of my staff.
We are very excited to update you about the work that is occurring here with the support of our various stakeholders and partners. We celebrate and embrace our Christ-driven mandate to provide affordable, quality healthcare. Our communities of subsistence farming families deserve the best. The hospital service fees are set at an “affordable” rate. We cannot charge realistic fees to a public struggling to support their basic needs: food, shelter, and clothing. Funding resources are limited in comparison to realistic operating budget. We must seek creative and diversified ways to ensure services we provide can be sustained…..and this must begin at home! We are very happy to share about our local partnerships and the creative and resourceful cost saving measures we are using:
- Christian Health Association of Liberia (CHAL) provides support for our triage construction, waste disposal system, in-service trainings, provision of drugs and medical supplies and fencing our hospital compound;
- The Liberian Government, through its Ministry of Health, provides the following supports: annual subsidy, ambulances (one dontated by government and another by Representative Jeremiah Koung), 125kg generator, personnel- pharmacist and two part time doctors, in-service training, drugs and medical supplies;
Dedication service of two new ambulances locally donated to Ganta Hospital
- Nimba County 2015 Social Development Funds allocation provides for renovating and expanding our record room;
International Medical Corps (IMC) provides training for our midwives; - Africare provides financial support for our community based primary healthcare program;
- Project Concern International (PCI) provided materials and labor to paint and sanitize our Eye Center and electrical wiring to extend our electrical access throughout our compound;
- Plan Liberia provided mattresses for our hospital beds;
- Gompa District United Methodist Women, through our local churches, provide local food for patients’ feeding;
- We are utilizing our land resources by identifying trees that can be sawed into lumber to make furniture. We purchased a chain saw and are making furniture for our out patient clinic and other waiting areas;
Local woodcarver processing lumber from trees cut down from hospital property. Benches made with lumber have created a comfortable waiting area.
- Side pieces from the sawing is used to make charcoal for our daily cooking needs;
- Our United Methodist Church, through its Board of Health, provides adequate administrative oversight and holds us accountable to comply with fiscal and material management protocols;
- We are identifying and gradually improving self-sustaining services such as: drug revolving fund system, improving lab and x-ray services, OB/GYN services (maternal and child health), etc.
UPDATES
- During a recent meeting, our Board of Health informed us “The general sanitation and face-lift of the hospital has dramatically improved”. We thank God!
- General renovation work is ongoing. Physical structure and grounds of the hospital improved.
- Drug Revolving Fund Scheme established and functioning well.
- We are in compliance with our 2015 Operation Plan.
- We recently received supplies and equipment from North Carolina Conference, Stop Hunger Now and our partners in Europe (Germany and Switzerland). These donations will help subsidize our operational budget and provide us with equipment and medical supplies in support of our efforts to provide quality health care.
- Global Health’s Imagine No Malaria support: 1. provided a new pickup truck to enhance our outreach and local partner engagement efforts (we only had one aging pickup); 2. Provided funds to “jump start” our Drug Revolving Fund Scheme; 3. Provided laboratory reagents, supplies and equipment to strengthen our ability to diagnose malaria as well as other illnesses; 4. Provided training opportunities and nets for pregnant mothers and children under five.
- Global Ministries’ Advance Special and other partnership organizations strengthens our ability to honor and realize our vision: To be the clear first choice for health care by offering targeted programs and services at affordable costs to improve the lives of those we serve in our catchment communities and beyond.
STATISTICS:
OPPORTUNITIES TO SUPPORT US:
- Pray with us.
- Come as a short or long term volunteer in the following areas:
- general surgeons and OB/GYN specialists;
- engineers or technicians in areas such as plumbing, electricity, and general construction;
- specialized nurses in the areas of diabetes, ER, and OR;
- computer hardware and software technicians;
- medical equipment technicians.
3. Use Global Ministries’ website: www.umcmission.org to electronically send a donation for our project support, Ganta Hospital Advance Special #15080N and/or Dr. Albert Willicor’s salary support (#15151Z).
You may also mail a check to your local United Methodist Church or conference office; or directly to Global Ministries. Write “Ganta Hospital Advance #15080N” on the memo line of your check and mail to:
Advance GCFA
P.O. Box 9068
New York, NY 10087-9068
I look forward to hear from you. Thanks always for reaching out with words of support and encouragement, financial gifts and material donations. I am thankful for all our partners and to our dear Bishop, Rev. Dr. John G. Innis, our UMC officials and staff, and our UMC Health Board leadership for all the support and confidence rendered me. Together, our mission can be fulfilled. May the good Lord bless all of you!!
Sincerely,
Patrick M. Mantor
Advance Number 15080N
pmantorm@gmail.com