|
Nursing School Renovation Well Underway
Phebe Hospital
continues its forward momentum from its war-time past toward
peaceful, routine operations. Phebe’s reconstruction has become a
symbol in central Liberia of normalcy and hope. A major component
of the Phebe institution is the School of Nursing. The School was
ruined in 2003 during the same occupation as the hospital. But
once again, perseverance and resiliency have resulted in
rebuilding the school. On March 7, the Danish government (Danida)
through the Danish Evangelical Mission and Danish Mission Council
Development Department announced in March that funding would be
made available for the complete rehabilitation of the School of
Nursing. Danida had also funded the reconstruction of the school
in 2001.
The funding
amount is approximately $296,000 and will be used for a complete
rehabilitation of the school. The funds will be used to rebuild
10 buildings associated with the school as well as salaries for
instructors, classroom furniture, and educational supplies and
materials. The elements being reconstructed consist of seven
classrooms, three dormitories, a teaching lab, and five staff
houses.
The development
of construction details was a very large effort undertaken by
voluntary missionaries. The architect who served as Clerk of
Works during the Hospital Renovation developed the fundamental
framework for the construction details. During January and
February, Gary Winters, a volunteer from the ELCA’s Upper
Susquehanna Synod, refined and revamped the original construction
details.
The next major
milestone was the signing of the Scope of Work for the
construction portion of the project on 14 March. The contractor
commenced work the next day! The reconstruction portion of the
work is to be completed with 12 weeks of the signing of the
Scope. An early-completion incentive was added into the Scope of
Work. The rest of the project will be completed within one year
of the funding date.
By early-April,
more than one-half of the construction work had been completed.
All the buildings have been re-roofed with plumbing and electrical
completed. All doors had been replaced. One of the large
buildings (a dorm) even had new trusses and a new roof within 10
days!
The next step in
the process of rehabilitation is the acquisition of teaching and
educational materials and supplies. The School will be looking to
obtain 3-D models of human anatomy, wall charts, textbooks as well
as stationary supplies.
The School
anticipates that 80 students will be admitted during this first
full year of operation. |
Phebe School of Nursing Graduates 16
Students
Report from
Hospital Administrator David Jones:
April 30, 2005 was a
grand day at Phebe Hospital and School of Nursing. The graduating class
of the nursing school held its first commencement ceremony since
returning from exile last year. It was a most joyous occasion and a
reflection of resiliency, commitment and perseverance of the God-given
human spirit.
The graduating
students remained with Phebe during their exile in 2003 and returned to
Phebe’s Home Site in June 2004. They never stopped their studies or
rendering aid to the people of Liberia. They continued in the face of
overwhelming destruction and chaos. And April 30th was their
day to celebrate God’s Accompaniment.
Hundreds attended the
commencement ceremony event which was punctuated with singing and
spontaneous dancing in celebration. Many dignitaries and special
guests were in attendance and spoke, including members of the Phebe
Board of Trustees, the Liberian Ministry of Health, representatives of
professional medical and nursing associations, Cuttington University
and local and foreign NGO’s. The Phebe leadership spoke of rebuilding
lives as well as institutions, capacity rebuilding and thanked Phebe’s
donors such as U.S. Agency for International Development.
The Keynote Speaker
was Dr Wilbur Thomas, Mission Director, U.S. Agency for International
Development who laid out the USAID vision for rebuilding Liberian
Health Care, including emphasis on underserved areas of Liberia,
vulnerable populations (women, and children under 5 years of age) and
services such as Mother/Child Health. He spoke of the dire health care
statistics in Liberia, of abhorrent maternal death rate, child mortality
under 5 years of age, and the HIV/AIDS rate. Dr. Thomas stayed after
the ceremony and had dinner with Phebe staff and shared stories of Phebe
and Curran Hospitals.
Also on that same
day, another Liberian medical-related achievement took place at Phebe
Hospital. The Liberian Medical and Dental Association held its first
meeting of 2005 at Phebe. More than 50 Medical and Dental professionals
met to present technical papers and discuss the rebuilding of medical
and dental services. Phebe’s Medical Director, Dr Emmanuel M. Sandoe,
presented a paper about Global Blindness and Blindness in Liberia. Dr
Sandoe is an ophthalmologist who heads Phebe’s eye program. (Last year,
9,891 patients were treated at Phebe; 519 patients underwent surgeries
including 401 cataract surgeries)
