ELCA Global Mission and Upper Susquehanna Synod volunteers help in the rebirth of Curran Lutheran Hospital

• See more photos of Curran reconstruction

• More on history of Curran's reconstruction -- article from November 2005

• USS Synod and Global Health ministries sending hospital beds.

A group of four volunteers sponsored by the Upper Susquehanna Synod (USS) of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) joined ELCA Global Mission volunteers Gary Winters (project coordinator from Pennsylvania) and Butch and Jim Foster of Montana in rebuilding Curran Lutheran Hospital, located in remote Lofa County. Gary, Butch and Jim arrived at Curran at the end of December 2005 and stayed for nearly three months. The USS volunteers, who stayed five weeks, included: Joe Kanagy from Belleville, Pa., Paul Shaner from Hughesville, Pa., Marvin Johnson from Mpls, Minn, and Jonathan Tuke from Wyomissing, Pa. This was one of four work crews totaling 18 volunteers who traveled to Liberia in mid-January as part of an ongoing Upper Susquehanna Synod (USS) commitment to support ministries of the Lutheran Church in Liberia (LCL). Accompanying the USS team was $60,000 in additional construction funds, secured from the Grasslands Trust, a family foundation based in Michigan.

Numerous local Liberians were hired to help resurrect this shell of a hospital that has been sitting roofless and looted for several years now, due the violence caused during Liberia’s civil war. The team’s goal was to reconstruct the outpatient/lab wing, maternity/delivery room wing, and operating theater with attached rooms (some 9,000 square feet).

By the end of January, the team had re-roofed both the operating room and the maternity delivery room and set trusses the maternity ward and patient wing. Next, workers installed 36 aluminum windows and patched bullet holes and cracks in the walls. An electrician and a plumber started their work early in February. The volunteers from the US were kept busy building wooden windows, installing door frames, doors, preparing walls for tile installation and helping to keep the generators running.

By the end of the first week in February, 80% of the roofing metal was up and painting and wall tile replacement were ready to begin. This was quite amazing progress, given that while the lumber was purchased locally, many other supplies need to be transported nearly 6 hours on terrible roads in vehicles of questionable integrity.

By the time the Upper Susqehanna crew left in late February, the projected portion to be renovated was totally under roof, and the remaining ELCA volunteers along with a host of local Liberians were busy painting, installing wall and floor tile, hanging light fixtures, installing glass, putting on other finishing touches, and even taking on an additional 900 square feet of area of re-roof (part of Phase 2 of Curran’s restoration). Gary Winters reported that “the building no longer looked like a disaster from a civil war, but rather a very nice bush hospital… Many local people stop as they pass the hospital, stare at what is happening and say thank you to the workers.”

ELCA volunteer Edna Johnson, who has been living and working as a nurse instructor at Curran for over a year, marveled at the change in “walking into the partially renovated operating room and seeing the ceiling in place! The operating room has large windows which face the north. Framing for the windows has been completed by Marvin, a master cabinet maker. Electrical outlets are in, you can picture where the operating room equipment will be placed. All in all an almost magical transformation since the first of the year.”

On March 18th, Lutheran Church of Liberia Bishop Harris along with numerous others of the LCL leaders along with few members of the press made the long drive to Curran to tour the newly renovated hospital . Because of rainy weather, muddy roads and stuck behicles, they were arrived at 1:30am on a Saturday morning, having to wait until daylight to tour the newly rebuilt hospital, transformed from a roofless shell to a finished facility.

Here is an overview of the renovation progress at Curran Hospital. (Photos of the reconstruction will soon be available for view at the website: www.elca.org/liberia/hospitals.html.)

Renovations:
In 2005, a drug and medical storage area of hospital funded by United Nations Development Program is completed. This area will be used as drug depot for malaria, tuberculosis and HIV drug to supply all of Lofa County.

The 2006 renovations of outpatient department, operating room suite, one office, laboratory space, maternity unit including labor and delivery room are nearing completion. Curran anticipates that by the end of April this section will be useable.

New construction:
With funds from Christofell Blindennmission (CBM), construction began for an Eye Clinic July of 2005 and is nearing completion. Also, a health clinic in Balzquwalzu funded by the US Ambassador Self-help fund is nearing completion.

Areas still needing renovation:
As of February 21, 2006 the following areas still need renovation: the four room building (partial renovated) and septic tank, two private rooms and three administration offices, the pediatric unit, central supply room, the laundry physician’s library, physician’s office, medical-surgical unit, the cafeteria, one intuitional latrine, and a water supply for the compound.

Operating Costs:
Curran’s greatest concern is the operating budget. Their plan is to increase fees at the time patients start using the renovated outpatient department, laboratory and maternity ward. The Medical and Social Welfare Board is investigating fees charged at other hospital in Liberia. In addition, an attempt is being made to determine the cost of each client service provided at Curran so they can make as rational a decision about fees as possible. Personnel, fuel or generators and vehicles as well as the cost of vehicle maintenance and repair account for 56% of Curran’s operating cost. A 2006 budget has been submitted to the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Finance, Government of Liberia with the hope of securing at least a small amount of funding in 2006, but outside support will continue to be needed.

See more photos of reconstruction.

If you are interested in financially supporting projects at Curran, you may contribute in the following way: