The ebola crisis taught us that in order to achieve our mission, we needed to become much more self-reliant. We needed more workers, a working laboratory, imaging, and a pharmacy. So while continuing to respond to the immediate health needs of communities we serve, we hired and are training more workers. We also accelerated the construction schedule for our new Medical Center. We have a container containing the critical solar components and other materials scheduled from Atlanta in September.
HWHL's Medical Center will provide waiting space and meet the government's new triage requirements. There are medical and dental examination rooms, space for over-night stays for those unable to travel, a pharmacy, labs/imaging, medical supply storage, classrooms, and a state-of-the-art telemedicine exam room. In addition to medical facilities, sufficient space is planned for offices, chapel services, meal preparation, and team meetings. Living Water International dug our well last month.
Our new facility was planned for completion in the future, ebola changed our plan. While we have a goal to hire and train local workers and to purchase materials locally, to get the quality we need some materials and tools, like those needed for the solar system, are only available in the U.S. With the accelerated construction schedule we have a funding gap and find ourselves in a position of having to make choices between clinic operations and completing the facility. This project allows both.
C.H Rennie, Margibi County's only public referral hospital, was badly hit by the Ebola crisis. At least 21 nurses lost their lives due to virus and many others abandoned their jobs in fear of contracting the disease. They are operating, but with limited staff and supplies. There are no dentists in Kakata and only two dentists in Liberia. We can provide full services - when we get the new facility opened, but we need the solar system delivered by late September to be open by year-end.
