Projects 2013 and History

Projects 2013
The next projects in April 2013 will be the following:
Extension and service of water supply
Service and stabilization of electricity supply and lightning protection
Restoration of the drinking water status as of September 2009
Renovation of various hospital buildings and housing area
Installation of an internal telephone system
Further Projects
Start of construction of a drain water collecting pit
Start of construction of a central medical house
Start of construction of a guest house
Projects of the Ugandahilfe Verl.
A number of enhancements were undertaken through the association.
Since 2009 the "Verler Association" has delegated a volunteer every year,
for a 12 month period.
In 2009 a dentist's chair was installed.
A cistern, constructed in 2008/2009, was put into operation in 2009,
with a capacity of 160 m³.
Moreover, numerous roofs were connected to the cistern, a pump room was installed,
and at the same time buildings were provided with new buried cable for electricity supply.

The old power connections were operated through an overhead power line,
which exposed to numerous lightning strikes during thunderstorms.
Medical equipment was frequently damaged.

New and comfortable

Through the new connections, it is now possible to provide all buildings
with limited emergency power if a power cut occurs.
This means that all important connections, such as a fridge for banked blood,
a fridge for medicine, important laboratory devices,
a ventilator-connection on each ward, two baby incubators,
light in the operation building, a few computers, the cistern water pump,
and the in 2009 installed emergency light in about 230 rooms (each 1W LED) can be conducted.
If the inverter functions, these appliances are centrically served through max. 20 kWh per day.
Thus, if the batteries have to be recharged, 10 l fuel can maintain the hospital operations.

These are important improvements for the hospital.
It is important to know that in Uganda, only one hydroelectric plant near the Nile exists,
which is not able to supply enough electricity so that power cuts can be ordinary.
Furthermore, with each thunderstorm,
the external current supply becomes inoperative in all probability.

Problems

Until the electricity functions numerous hours and even weeks can go by.
No light, no laboratory, no ultrasonics,
no surgeries, no water ... various devices malfunction without substitution.
It leaves you speechless if you witness the deaths of many patients through such a blackout.

Projects Ugandahilfe Verl

Solar Collector

Comboni Hospital Kyamhunga (spoken: Tchuamuhunga) Uganda
In 2008 a solar collector with battery pack with inverter was installed
in a couple of buildings with the help of the Uganda Verl.

The newly installed machines only delivered electricity for a couple of hours.
Rainwater Cistern
At this stage, the area has been measured and a rainwater cistern was planned.
Its construction has already begun.

In 2009, the construction of the cistern was completed
and numerous wet weather flows of the roofs were connected to the system.
It rains about 2000 mm per year.

During the rainwater pipeline construction,
empty conduits were located for a subsequent electrical installation.

Dentist's Chair

In February 2010, a (per contained) conveyed dentist's chair was hooked up.
240 patients were able to be treated at no charge during a two week period
by Dr. Leif Hellweg from Varensell.
The special event was advertised through the voluntary work of Juliette Kluth,
who reached local inhabitants through a local radio station.
The event was a great success.

A big thanks also goes out to Dr. dent. Herrmann from Bad Lipspringe,
who spontaneously supported the projects with comprehensive equipment.
Furthermore, the dentist Dr. Horstkemper should also be mentioned and thanked him
for his voluntary support, supplying injections for local anesthesia.

Pump House

Furthermore, a pump house was build, and a cistern water pump was installed.

Electricity
In order to undertake the planned connection of the buildings,
cables and other electric materials were sent to Uganda.

In Paderborn, a considerable amount of small arrangement were issued.
Bernd Ruberg, owner and chief executive of the firm,
should be mentioned here with his great contribution.

Moreover, a big thanks goes out to Carsten Eppert
for his spontaneous aid for the assembly of numerous switchboxes.
Without their help, it would not have been possible
to assemble such a great amount of equipment in such a short period of time.

New holes were dug and all buildings on the hospital compound were supplied with tension.
The goal was to abandon the aerial cable, which were exposed to lightning strikes during thunderstorms.
Consequently, the storms caused tremendous damage to the electrical devices.

Due to the availability, telephone underground cables were also placed into the ground,
for future use.
Furthermore, in about 230 rooms, one watt LED light was installed, respectively.

Emergency Light

In between four weeks a great challenge.
A great spare and practical measure.

Certainly the first hospital, in which each room contains one 1 W LED light.

In August 2008, the solar collector was relocated to another building to manage the power supply better.

Central Emergency Light

The switchboard for the arrangement of the emergency power was installed,
and the pump house was expanded.
This work makes it possible to dispose limited emergency power in every important spot.
The whole calculation of water and electricity was narrowly assessed,
because only an economical approach can guarantee dependability of 500 workers.

Drinkable Water

A highlight in August and September of 2010 was the provision of drinkable water.
The installation of an UV lamp was only one small part of the whole job.

A big thanks goes out to Paul's mother Aja,for the first impulse regarding the drinking water criterions
and finding some good solutions. Paul was the volunteer of 2009/2010 in Bushenyi Uganda.

In order to generate drinkable water, our team asked Dr. Ullrich Schmelz of the University of Goettingen
to assemble a concept for our project.
We wanted to know how to obtain drinkable water quality and, furthermore,
how the water can be tested in a laboratory.
After a tutorial and the gathering of the equipment,
we were able to start trainings in the lab of the Comboni hospital.

The process in Germany and Uganda was a great challenge.
A big thanks goes out to Dr. Ullrich Schmelz of the University of Goettingen,
Jennifer Sender, who organized the meeting, Juliette Kluth and Klaus Striewe,
who translated the lab procedures from German into English language and,
moreover, conducted the trainings on the Comboni hospital.

They all made it possible to have drinkable water, just after 10 days.
This was definitely an incredible task.
In order to demonstrate the safeness of the processed water,
we foreigners drank it. beforehand, the natives did not really trust the generated substance,
which was not boiled.

A new experience:
No matter how well you are prepared, new, unprepared problems always show up.
This leaves us to facilitate a couple of things,
because local specific problems have to be considered.
A part of the analysis, which can only be performed with bigger gaps,
will be shifted to Germany.
This means that we are looking for a lab in the Paderborn area,
which declares itself ready to analyze the samples, complimentary.
The assignment is definitley an interesting task for the a well equipped lab in Germany.
If you are poised to help us,
please contact us per e-mail.
It would be a great help.

Project 2013

The planned projects in 2013 will primarily be dedicated to expand and stabilize the water supply.
Even though 75% of the water consumption comes from 5000 m³ rainwater,
water scarcity in the hospital exists during drought,
when the external power blacks out.
The condition of no electricity can sometimes last for weeks.
Through modest additional installation, relief should be accomplished.
Furthermore, only a minimal amount of sanitary facilities are existent.
Collecting Pit
It is planned to install a drain water collecting pit.

Medical House
And to build a medical house.
The hospital is financially only capable to maintain the hospital operations of the personnel.
Expansion, from every point of view, is impossible.
This is why through all the years, all existing buildings were build with the money of donations.
Nevertheless, the infrastructure is minimally construed.

Telephone System

In 2013, the installation of an internal telephone line is also planned.
The acquisition will be a great benefit,
due to the long distances between buildings.

Donations

All the work that is done at the Comobi hospital is limited by two matters:
The donation amount
and time that we can dedicate.

Every other euro and every minute in Uganda or in the preperation cycle,
would open new possibilities and help out.
Every single proposal and every good idea can help us on.
Tremendous work can be achieved together.