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Friends United Meeting |
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Global Ministries:
Friends Lugulu Hospital
Friends Lugulu Hospital is a 110 bed Quaker-affiliated hospital located
in a densely populated rural area of western Kenya. It is located in the
village of Lugulu, seven kilometers north of Webuye, in Bungoma District
of Western Province. The hospital is under the management of Elgon Religious
Society of Friends (ERSF), one of thirteen Friends Yearly Meetings in
Kenya. Friends Lugulu Hospital's stated intent is, "to help build
the Kingdom of God by reaching out with healing to the poor and suffering
of western Kenya, and by demonstrating, in a tangible way through its
health care provision, the love and compassion of Christ."
Known for its quality patient care, Friends Lugulu Hospital is one of three hospitals in the district, and performs the bulk of the surgical procedures in the area. With approximately 6,000 admissions, 25,000 outpatient visits, and over 750 infant deliveries annually, the hospital is typically at full capacity, its resources often strained. Despite the relative poverty of the area, nearly 95% of the hospital's budget is paid from patient fees and other locally generated income. The dedicated hospital staff are almost entirely composed of Kenyans, with the exception of the current Medical Officer in Charge, one staff physician, and regular interns and short-term workers from abroad.
Friends Lugulu Hospital began as a first aid station in the early 1900s under its parent institution, the Friends Hospital located in Kaimosi, Kenya. By 1946 it had been upgraded to a mud and thatch dispensary, and as demand for services increased it was further upgraded in 1967 to the level of a health center, and again in 1977 to a fully licensed hospital. Since then, services have continued to be developed as the hospital's reputation, and the corresponding demand for services, have grown. Lugulu also provides health care services to outlying areas through a series of health clinics and dispensaries. Both at Lugulu and in the major satellite clinics, a full range of services are rendered, including inpatient and outpatient care; pre-natal care; family planning services; and child immunizations.
Adopt-a-Bed Program
The patients whom Lugulu serves are often unable to afford the care provided. As a mission hospital, Lugulu does not wish to turn away anyone needing medical attention because of the inability to pay. The increasing financial needs of patients led to the establishment of the Adopt-a-Bed program in 1991. Certain beds at the hospital are "adopted" by churches or individuals within Friends United Meeting and without. Just over half the daily bed rate is provided through this program (about $3.30), allowing patients to receive care they otherwise could not afford. This arrangement also helps insure that the hospital still receives the funding it needs to continue servicing the area. The amount required to adopt a bed for a year is $1,200 or $100 per month.
Current weather trends in Kenya have caused economic stress in the area. Such economic upset only worsens the difficulty patients have in paying for the costs of health care. It is during times like these that the Adopt-a-Bed program can be an especially wonderful gift to struggling patients and staff. Six-month adoptions are encouraged, although smaller contributions are also welcome.
If you or your church would like to participate, please contact us via
the contributions page or the
address below. Please include a note on the check for "Lugulu Adopt-a-Bed."