The Mobile Clinic Project

In 2009, HDI was developing a proposal to purchase a Toyota Van equipped with a diagnostic lab, portable XRay, and ultrasound machine. Its purpose is to visit the villages on a scheduled basis to provide public health and community education, do diagnostic labs, screening and testing…….…..In October of 2009, UJAMAA was able to donate the money for HDI to purchase a van to be converted to a mobile clinic. HDI is continuing to pursue the purchase of equipment to fully convert the van to a mobile clinic.

It was the maiden voyage for the 4WD Toyota van aka “mobile clinic”, up a very rutted, rock-filled, washed out road;  near the top of the climb were significantly steep drop-offs to this narrow road.  We finally arrived!  only to be hit by a huge wind and rainstorm, more typical of Scottish Highlands, than Rwanda.   The winds were strong enough to rock the van, and the storm continued unabated for 21/2 hours.  We sat tight in the swaying van, wondering how we were going to accomplish providing clinical services in this setting.  Finally the storm slowed to a mere drizzle, and we climbed out to find that we had a flat!  I was willing to fix the flat, but young Rwandese men materialized and started to remove the tire.  I did comment to one of my group, that how could these guys know how to fix a flat tire, when none of the entire village had a vehicle?  so we watched intently until it was done.

And still in a heavy drizzle, we looked up, and there were at least 45-50 people, with a variety of umbrellas, standing patiently, waiting to be seen.  “If you build it, they will come”.

Health Development Initiative-Rwanda (HDI) has now been using the mobile van for 14 months. The mobile clinic has been instrumental in transporting local physicians to rural clinics and outlying areas where physician visits have been limited. The van has been used to transport patients back to hospitals and clinics when needed. The van has also been used to transport the maternal and child team from Spokane out to clinics for their training workshops with the local health care workers. In February 2010, the van was utilized to bring rheumatic heart disease patients to the hospital for the Healing Hearts Northwest surgical mission.