Following the drive from Binga to Harare, we headed up to Karanda Mission Hospital for 2 nights. The main purpose for this visit is to meet with Dr. Paul Thistle and for Ray to connect up a mesh router system for the Karanda Compound. There are many changes to the hospital and it was also very exciting to drive across the river on the new bridge. No more wading across in croc infested waters!
IT was an IT few days (we will leave it to you to answer which IT is IT). We had been asked to help expand the wireless network in Karanda mainly to include the new Primary School on the grounds and to improve access to Staff housing. In addition this continues to move our work in supporting community health workers by providing digital content through a wireless network (TP Link) without going onto the internet. We had set up a wireless network in with a NAS server ( QNAP). This was brought over and we successfully installed it at Karanda. Next step working on content! Unplanned by any of us and some might say in answer to prayer, the day we started to work, a group contracted by the Zimbabwe Government arrived to install a second satellite system providing increased (maxing out at 1MBS up and 5 down) bandwidth to the area!
Back from Karanda on Monday evening. Met up with Dr. Chigonda to have further discussion about the GP residency programme. We are going to move to a partnership starting with a MOU with the University and then looking at supporting tuition fees for the 8 Residents in the country ( $200 a year each) and then a stipend or subsidy especially supporting docs in rural areas to make the program a sustainable option for them. The model we are thinking of is $500 US a month ( so they can focus on studies not looking for after- hours private work) and an additional $100 a month for those interested in supporting capacity building for community health workers in their areas.
