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At Gems TV, we are passionate about supporting the miming communities in areas where we uncover gemstones. We are currently funding projects, Madagascar, Tanzania, Inner Mongolia and Zambia. The later is by far our largest project and we currently are supporting two schools, a clinic and a farming project.
We recently sent Natalie McKay along to see how our funding and projects are progressing.
Previous to the construction of Nkana clinic, the ten thousand people living within in the catchment area would walk miles to the nearest town, Kalulushi. One Government clinic was available; however it provided little facilities and medical care, which subsequently lead to constant referrals to the General Hospital far away in the nearest town Kitwe.
Due to lack of transport, money and employment, the communities would rely on a weekly visit from health personnel. This was not a permanent solution and was hugely unreliable. The health personnel would also struggle to find transport, adequate facilities and medicine to meet the demand. Thousands would wait in a local church, poorly constructed and unhygienic, in wait of the medical assistance which may or may not arrive. With lack of transport and communication, those sick would wait crowded amongst others in an unhealthy environment for long periods of time, increasing the likelihood of air borne diseases. Otherwise, those sick would remain sick, praying to God for their health, many would eventually would die in their homes.
Since the construction of the clinic at Nkana, there is another option for those communities (approximately six thousand people live in mud huts and basic brick houses in the area). Funding from the Colourful Life Project (100% funded by Gems TV) to date has been utilised to rehabilitate the clinic in order to meet the Governmental health standards, thereby receiving Government approval and funding. The first phase was to ensure the roof and plaster was completed accordingly. The building has been extended to include a store room for cleaning equipment and “bikes” etc. Once this is finished, the ward room which is currently being used a store room can be used to accommodate patients! Also construction is currently taking place to rehabilitate the foundations for a waiting room outside the clinic.
The future priority is to ensure that the clinic becomes available twenty four hours a day. This will be reliant on funding and the construction of staff accommodation, as currently the staff must leave the clinic at 4pm to ensure they can return home by foot. The significance of ensuring twenty four hour accessibility is to accommodate mothers in labour. At present it is still a difficult process for those in labour to attend the clinic, however if this occurs out of the hours of 7am-4pm, they must rely on community assistance in unsanitary conditions, with no medication. Mothers often loose their babies as a result of this. Ideally the clinic is to be extended to improve on the current situation of one maternity room and one post-natal room, which is often used as a second maternity room. Once extension takes place, the rooms available will be used for admissions, with at least one male and one female ward, allowing for six beds per room.
