Kenya: Lwala Healthcare Project
Lwala Community Hospital Report, Q3 2014
December 21, 2014
Katherine Falk and Liz Chamberlain
Summary of Activities
Summary of Activities
• Funded maternal and child health costs including
• Funded ambulance repairs and maintenance
• Funded fuel for ambulance to provide emergency transportation
• Funded obstetric emergency referrals
• Funded miscellaneous additional needs

Results &
ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Improved patient care and clinical operations
Quality Improvement Plan Implemented
A quality improvement plan was put in place under the supervision of the Head Clinician that includes improving the quality of care and staff communication, decreasing patient wait time, establishing a clear fee and billing structure, and restructuring meeting times to early in the morning before patients arrive.

Improved access and facility infrastructure
Hospital Expansion Re-design
The hospital expansion was redesigned to include ward space as an addition to the current building rather than a separate building in order to reduce cost and minimize future ongoing expenditures.

Education Programs
Recruitment Efforts Prove Effective
Q3 saw an increased effort on the girls mentoring program, including recruitment of almost 50 out of school mentees.

Income Generating Activities
New Products for U.S. Market
The New Visions Sewing Cooperative produced a variety of new products including aprons, Christmas ornaments, and bags for the U.S. market.

Increase impact of health outreach programs
Community-based Outreach
26 outreaches were carried out in the community, serving over 1,500 community members.

Background
& Objectives
Background
Lwala is a village of approximately 1,500 people near Lake Victoria in western Kenya. Within an hour’s walk, approximately 3,000 additional people live in nearby villages accessible by dirt roads. Poor physical infrastructure, including impassable roads during the rainy season, lack of electricity and lack of reliable drinking water, have helped to create a critical healthcare challenge in Lwala. The mission of the Lwala Community Hospital is to meet the holistic health needs of all members of the Lwala community.
Objectives
- Improve patient care and clinical operations
- Improve access and facility infrastructure
- Expand and improve quality of education programs
- Professionalize the organization through better policies and practices
- Properly procure and account for physical, financial, and human resources
- Increase impact of health outreach programs
- Build capacity of community members in income generating activities
- Improve programs through better communication and monitoring and evaluation

Numbers
Served
The Lwala Community Hospital provided an average of 2,333 monthly patient visits in Q3, down from an average 2,709 in Q2. A new government hospital opened in the catchment area which likely accounts for the lower patient numbers. An average of 42 babies were born each month at the health facility, a slight decrease from an average of 46/month in Q2.


More Reports on: Lwala Healthcare Project Archive
Country Page: Kenya
Initiative Page: Lwala Healthcare Project