The £50,000 it cost to build and equip the McNeil Medical Centre, was a donation from a UK company ASE consulting as a Goodbye to a retiring Director (Duncan McNeil) In 2018 ASE were ‘taken over’ and we were not part of the deal. Mr McNeil has personally given some financial help recently, but we can’t expect an individual to fund the medicine and salaries of an entire medical centre. Daviot and Old Meldrum Explorer Scouts visited Uganda Lodge in 2018 and raised £30,000 to build the 90ft x 45ft school hall. They then raised another £15,000 to build dormitories on top of Medical Centre in 2020. The medical centre is now two stories high. It hosts: a permanent nurse, a qualified Lab Technician and has regular visits from a local qualified doctor. It has a number of roles within the community, including the following.
- Basic primary care for villagers.
- Regular screening for the children in our own and nearby schools for the early signs of malaria and other life-threatening diseases.
- A First–Aid post -for passing traffic.
- An ongoing vaccination programme for the villagers.
- Training to local health officers and trainee healthcare professionals from the surrounding area.
- Disease prevention and education addressing, amongst others, HIV/Aids and malaria.
- Regular Baby Clinics and Antenatal Check-ups.
Many different services have been offered at various times, thanks in no small part to overseas and local medical volunteers these include: dental check-ups, eye tests, HIV and other counselling, plus community outreach work and advice.
We are offering places to students seeking Medical Elective placements abroad. See www.medicalelectives.org