The inadequate basic medical care for the rural region of Ambohitsara, southwest of Port-Bergé, will be significantly improved by a bush hospital with outpatient and inpatient care, maternity unit and surgical ward. The widespread practice in Madagascar of “money before treatment” will be replaced by the principle of “treatment before money”. The rural poor will also get the opportunity to pay in kind or in work. (See video on the hospital project.)

Based on current planning (2013), the estimated costs of the hospital amount to:

In the financing of the first construction phase, we are still at the very beginning and look for both, private individuals and companies, who hold this project near and dear.

For the improvement of local sanitary conditions, a drinking water supply is built with a small dam for spring water near the village and a piping system with intermediate reservoirs and filtering and purification systems (video). The power supply is planned to be ensured by wind power and solar panels. Not only the hospital but also school and village should be supplied as well in each case:

In view of the donations received so far, we are confident that we already may be able to install the first pipes starting in April 2014. But for the implementation of the entire water supply with intermediate reservoirs and filtering and purification systems we still need more finances.

As a first step, at the end of 2009 a simple health station was built, which will be replaced by an expanded health station in 2014 (currently under construction). After putting up the drinking water supply, the construction of the hospital will be started.

With your help we can meet this challenge. If your congregation or your company would like to hear more about the hospital project, we are happy to run an information evening at your premises. Feel free to contact us!

If you can imagine to voluntary assist the local workers on-site for several months and have appropriate qualifications and experience, please contact us. Possible fields of assistance are:

• As a building worker in hospital construction
• Supervision of the construction
• Doctors and nurses can help even now: in the areas of treatment, prevention and health education, both in the health station and later in the hospital (see also demand for professionals)

Scheduled starts of construction:

• Drinking water supply: construction start scheduled for April 2014
• Hospital: start of construction scheduled after completion of the drinking water supply

See also: video