“The difference between a facility that has clean water and one that does not is like night and day,” he said.
“It makes it much easier for me and my nurses to do our jobs. Even the diseases we see are completely different.”
On the wall of the Lundamatwe Dispensary where Dr. Mwaikuju is currently working is a list of the Top Ten Diseases. Water-related illnesses are prominent of the list.
“Unfortunately, because we treat people from such a wide area, not all of them have access to safe water,” he said. “But, if you were to visit a dispensary where there was no clean water, you would see water-related illnesses dominate the list.”
“There would also be higher numbers of people suffering from those diseases,” he added.
According to Dr. Mwaikuju, it is only at facilities that have clean water that a water-related condition such as diarrhea does not occupy the top spot. In Lundamatwe, that position is consistently taken by upper respiratory infections which are most often caused by cooking with charcoal inside unventilated huts.
In addition to the impact it has on illness in the areas surrounding the dispensary, the facility’s Water to Thrive-funded well also improves treatment in several ways.
Facilities without clean water are forced to purchase bottled cleaning supplies which is cost prohibitive and can even place treatment out of the reach of many patients.
“All of the cleaning supplies have to been purchased in bottles and brought in by vehicle,” Dr. Mwaikuju said. “In those situations, even the materials we use for basic cleaning have to be brought in. It’s expensive and if a shipment doesn’t arrive on time, the doctor is forced to ask the patient to bring their own cleaning supplies.”
In many cases, this is beyond the financial reach of the patient and they end up going untreated.
In recent months, Dr. Mwaikuju has noticed a slight surge in the number of people seeking treatment for water-related conditions. He attributes this increase to the rapid population growth of the nearby city of Iringa.
“The area serviced by this dispensary has had more than 8,000 people move into it during the past few years,” he said. “It makes things harder but at least we have clean water. I hate to think where we’d be if we didn’t have that.”
The dispensary is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Dr. Mwaikuju and his staff of three nurses average 250 consultations a month.
“The difference between a facility that has clean water and one that does not is like night and day,” he said.
“It makes it much easier for me and my nurses to do our jobs. Even the diseases we see are completely different.”
On the wall of the Lundamatwe Dispensary where Dr. Mwaikuju is currently working is a list of the Top Ten Diseases. Water-related illnesses are prominent of the list.
“Unfortunately, because we treat people from such a wide area, not all of them have access to safe water,” he said. “But, if you were to visit a dispensary where there was no clean water, you would see water-related illnesses dominate the list.”
“There would also be higher numbers of people suffering from those diseases,” he added.
According to Dr. Mwaikuju, it is only at facilities that have clean water that a water-related condition such as diarrhea does not occupy the top spot. In Lundamatwe, that position is consistently taken by upper respiratory infections which are most often caused by cooking with charcoal inside unventilated huts.
In addition to the impact it has on illness in the areas surrounding the dispensary, the facility’s Water to Thrive-funded well also improves treatment in several ways.
Facilities without clean water are forced to purchase bottled cleaning supplies which is cost prohibitive and can even place treatment out of the reach of many patients.
“All of the cleaning supplies have to been purchased in bottles and brought in by vehicle,” Dr. Mwaikuju said. “In those situations, even the materials we use for basic cleaning have to be brought in. It’s expensive and if a shipment doesn’t arrive on time, the doctor is forced to ask the patient to bring their own cleaning supplies.”
In many cases, this is beyond the financial reach of the patient and they end up going untreated.
In recent months, Dr. Mwaikuju has noticed a slight surge in the number of people seeking treatment for water-related conditions. He attributes this increase to the rapid population growth of the nearby city of Iringa.
“The area serviced by this dispensary has had more than 8,000 people move into it during the past few years,” he said. “It makes things harder but at least we have clean water. I hate to think where we’d be if we didn’t have that.”
The dispensary is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Dr. Mwaikuju and his staff of three nurses average 250 consultations a month.
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