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Chimala Mission Hospital
In late 1961 Tanzania emerged from several centuries of European domination and gained independence for their people. Several years after independence the nation decided to rid itself of any international influence in order to promote their culture, way of life, and to unite as one. At that time many privately owned organizations, hospitals, farms, and industries were taken over by the government and foreigners within the country were told, or allowed to leave. Also, at the time of independence, the missionaries for the church were told that they were more than welcome to remain in the country if they would assist in the development of the country. Due to this, it was decided in the early 1960’s to build Chimala Mission Hospital in order to protect the young Christians providing them
with the freedom to worship and to continue to spread the faith.
The hospital started as a small clinic, in a small tin building. Since then it has grown from that shack to a 130 – bed hospital, with a medical staff of 80 people. The hospital continues to grow and serve 300,000 people who live in the Usangu Plains, and the Southern Highlands. Annually, we see on average a little over 20,000 patients, while last year we saw around 25,000. We also typically deliver 1,200 hundred babies a year while last year we delivered right at 1,800.
The hospital is the leading medical center in “our” part of Tanzania. We are considered the “District Hospital,” even though that title does belong to a small government health facility 30 miles northeast of Chimala. Within the hospital we have several specialty clinics such as: Maternal Health Clinic, HIV/AIDS Clinic, Infectious Disease Clinic, Out-Patient Clinic, Traveling Clinic, Dental and Eye Clinic.
The hospital is a 3rd world institution. We, therefore, strive to serve and provide the best medical care possible within a 3rd world environment. We only recently put in operation our first sonogram and EKG machines. We have six full-time doctors who are very capable of dealing with the main illnesses of this part of the world, and are able to do most minor surgeries.
Most of the illnesses treated at Chimala are tropical in nature, such as Malaria, Typhoid, tropical ulcers, and cholera. We also deal with a lot of burns and broken limbs. However, the main illness we deal with is the HIV/AIDS virus. Reports indicate that 18% of the population near Chimala is infected with HIV/AIDS. Recently Janice Bingham from Jackson, TN spent several weeks in Chimala. She reported that she believed some 50-70% of our hospital patients were infected.
The hospital is primarily self-supporting. We charge minimal fees in order to purchase the medications, pay salaries and pay for other bills. No funds from the church treasury are used for the day to day operation of the hospital. However, we do have needs that we ask the faithful to help provide from time to time. There are just simply too many items that are still unavailable in Tanzania in 2006, and if available, they are rare, hard to find, and if found, very expensive. In view of this please see our needs list which is given below. If you can help in any area, please contact me at chimalaheath@cmhcbc.org.
We are happy to report that the hospital also serves as a great tool for evangelistic purposes. Normally, a couple dozen are baptized annually at the hospital, and as many are baptized annually due to the HIV/AIDS program. Right now we have two full-time evangelists who work at the hospital, and all our Bible students from the schools of preaching are required to spend time at the hospital visiting patients and family. Due to the work of the hospital over the years, countless numbers of souls have been added to the church. Please continue to pray for this effort.
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