In addition to short-term medical mission opportunities, PMI is committed to having a sustainable medical presence in our partnering communities through the development of comprehensive medical centers. The Masindi Center is being completed in several phases following efforts to insure the long-term stability of the project. Due to the nature of the political climate of the region, PMI has gone to great lengths to insure a solid future for the project by finalizing a 49-year renewable lease on the four- acre property where the center is being constructed.
In addition to the land lease, all appropriate measures have been taken to insure the success of the project. Most notably the project has received the approval and partnership of the Ministry of Health in Uganda, the appropriate business and NGO filings with the Ugandan government and all necessary permits and approvals from the city of Masindi.
After beginning site work in March 2010 the outpatient facility was opened in December of that same year. Completion of the medical campus is scheduled for December 2012. The final project will include an Outpatient Facility, Men’s, Women’s and Children’s Inpatient Wards, Labor and Delivery Center, Surgical Center and Education Center, and Physical Therapy/Occupational Therapy building.
Phase 1: Outpatient Facility: The Outpatient facility is approximately 4,200 square feet and is the first permanent presence for the project where people from the region will be able to access quality healthcare. This facility will be open and operating while the rest of the project is being completed. The expectation before opening inpatient wards is that the facility will be able to treat more than 500 people per month on six working days per week.
In September of 2010 PMI partnered with Medshare to send a 40-foot container with over 1,000 pieces of medical supplies and equipment to Masindi. These supplies will outfit the majority of the Outpatient facility and will represent the most up to date medical resources in the region.
The Outpatient facility celebrated its grand opening on December 12, 2010 and is currently offering care to the people of Masindi.
Phase 2: Men’s, Women’s & Children’s Inpatient Wards: One of the primary concerns in Ugandan medical settings is that the layout of medical facilities do not allow staff to maintain appropriate awareness of the status of their patients. Each of the wards for the Masindi Center has been designed allowing medical staff to maintain constant awareness of each patient in the ward. Each ward will comfortably occupy fifteen patients with room for more if necessary.
Phase 3: Labor and Delivery Center: There are currently 63.7 deaths for every 1000 live births (CIA World Fact Book) in Uganda and the under 5 mortality rate is 127.5 for every 1000. Uganda also has the second highest fertility rate in the world at 6.73 children born per woman. Couple these staggering statistics with the existing risks for mothers in childbirth and it is clear that he labor and delivery center will be a vital part of the Masindi project. The labor and delivery center will have a separate ward with the ability to house up to eight mothers recovering from childbirth
Phase 4: Surgical Center: The surgical center will be the first of its kind in the region. The facility will allow new and innovative operations to take place that are currently unavailable to patients. It will include a designated ward to house up to eight patients recovering from surgery. Once the facility is complete, new opportunities for specialists from the US and Uganda will exist and the range of care offered to patients will be limitless.
Phase 5: Education Center and Physical Therapy/Occupational Therapy Building: Education is a key element to changing the face of public health. Therefore, a facility has been designed to provide education and training to the people of Masindi. One of the final elements of the Center will be the inclusion of a space for physical and occupational therapy. These types of care are often overlooked in Uganda but the need is very present.
Phase 6: Future Growth: In recognizing the long term need for growth, four additional structures have been designed to meet the future needs of the medical campus.
