To be able to call 911, have access to emergency medical services, an equipped emergency room with skilled medical professionals - are things we take for granted in the first world. Here, in rural Kenya, these services are obsolete. Africa Mission Services (AMS) Community Health Clinic offers basic medical and maternal child health services - as best it can - yet lack of resources and medical professionals with expertise often limit what services can be given. In January of this year, the AMS Birth Center officially opened, providing women with a safe and clean place to give birth. As of this month, the AMS Clinic now accepts NHIF (national insurance) and offers "Linda Mama" - a government scheme aimed to improve maternal child health through providing free prenatal, delivery, and postnatal care to any pregnant woman. Our women's health program continues to grow and we anticipate the addition of these programs will cause it to grow substantially.
With offering a woman a safe and clean place to give birth comes responsibility - of not only giving skilled care but of being prepared to take action in the event of an emergency or need to transfer care. AMS Clinic is located about an hour and a half from the closest hospital that can provide an emergency cesarean section or other emergency services.
Our sub-district hospital has an ambulance - but often we find they are using it to go to meetings, or get supplies... and just recently it had a deadly wreck as the drive was under the influence of alcohol. We feel it is timely, if not past time, to have an ambulance stationed at the AMS Clinic and Birth Center. While we wish every patient and mother that came in had a happy ending to their story - it is not the case. We want to be prepared to give the best care possible at our clinic but also realize our limitations and be prepared to transfer a patient without delay. An hour and a half can seem like a life time - and thats with prompt transfer...
Help us, help this community. By working together, I know we can make a difference in the life of one more man, woman, or child. The cost of a Toyota Cruiser Ambulance is $45,000.00. Kensington Cares, a nonprofit associated with Kensington Tour Company, has generously agreed to match dollar for dollar up to $22,500.00! That means - that for every dollar you give - we receiving matching funds!
Thank you for considering this project! All donations are tax-deductible.
Please feel free to donate on this link or send a check made out to AMS OF USA:
AMS of USA
PO BOX 906
Chattanooga, TN 37401
NOTE: For donations of $500 or more please consider sending a check in order to avoid the associated fees wit online donation. Please indicate "AMBULANCE" and we will manually enter your donation onto the Crowdrise platform.
Thank you!!
