Setting The Scene Have you ever watched “Our Yorkshire Farm” on BBC TV? Ravenseat is a remote farm at the top of Swaledale in the Yorkshire Dales, 30 miles or so from the nearest hospital where farmers Owen and Amanda have brought up their nine children. Although remote, the family have the vehicles to get to the […]
Whilst things have been tough here in the UK over the last 16 months, spare a thought for our friends in Uganda. Recent news paints a difficult picture. Uganda is in a renewed lockdown for the whole of July at least, and Covid cases and deaths have been increasing. Many people are struggling economically because so […]
Bwindi Community Hospital has been providing care for people with mental illness since 2012. We were invited to visit in 2013 and JF has been working with them since then. One of the things that has impressed us about the hospital is that it’s vision extends to the community “A healthy and productive community free from preventable […]
July 2021 is significant because it sees the 10th anniversary since our beautiful Jamie died. In those 10 years we have continued to be inspired by his lovely, adventurous, playful nature. It is fitting therefore that we mark this poignant milestone with a fun lifestyle challenge that everyone can join, doing as much or as […]
Mental health clinics in Uganda invariably include many adults and children with epilepsy. Part of the reason for this is the lack of neurology specialists in Uganda, and little capacity within general medicine, so these patients are usually seen by mental health services. However, it is apparent too that epilepsy just seems to be more […]
From time-to-time we are reminded that Covid19 is not the only story in town and even more importantly that there are good news stories that have nothing to do with Corona virus. A recent story from Georgious Orishaba, the psychiatric clinical officer at Kisiizi Hospital is a case in point. In September, 2019 a lady was […]
It seems like another world, but just over a year ago, as part of our last visit to Uganda, Maureen Wilkinson and Simon Tavernor visited a hospital in the foothills of the Rwenzori Mountains. Kilembe Mines Hospital was keen to develop mental health care, recognising this as a largely unmet need locally. It was agreed that […]
In most African countries there is no such thing as a welfare state. Families try hard to give their children a good education, with the hope that they will get well paid jobs and take over the support of the younger children – particularly the payment of school fees. Jane is the only girl in […]
There is no doubt that Covid19 has been, and continues to be, a challenge to our friends in Uganda. It was therefore with “double joy” that we have received news of an mhGAP training workshop that has just been successfully completed at Lubaga Hospital[1], on the western side of the capital, Kampala, and the second […]
Well! Thank goodness that Challenge is over (at least I speak for myself). 32 individuals or teams worked really hard during September to cycle 200 miles. Everyone has completed the challenge and for the most part everyone enjoyed the experience. I don’t know what the total mileage eventually completed was, but that’s rather less important than the […]