A long term relationship, commenced during the ethnic violence of 2002-2004, aiming to revive the fortunes of a once great hospital, now struggling to serve a poor rural community in Plateau State

Vom Hospital

Vom Hospital in Plateau State is an historic facility that was established over 80 years ago by medical missionaries.  At its height, it was serving the whole of West Africa and even today, its reputation for the staff it has produced and the services it provided is spoken of nationwide.

Subsequent to the departure of the missionary medics, the Hospital has experienced a cycle of decline, sparked in part by the nationalisation and then de-nationalisation of the Hospital under successive Government initiatives in Nigeria.

Today, operating at a reduced technical level and serving a poor rural community unable to meet the realistic costs of treatment, the Hospital is struggling with staff retention and an aging infrastructure.

MAI became involved because Vom Hospital’s reputation made it a natural beacon for many victims of the extreme ethnic violence that occurred between 2002 and 2004 in Plateau State.  Over 1,000 people of all faiths and none were taken to Vom and MAI became involved in assisting with volunteers and funding essential equipment.

The recent return to ethnic violence on a smaller scale provided a reminder that facilities such as Vom Hospital are vital and strategic to the future of Plateau State.

After several years of this support, MAI has worked with the Hospital in the development of an income generation strategy to enable the Hospital to reduce its dependence on inadequate patient treatment fees.  The first phase of this strategy has been to enhance basic services infrastructure and transform the old disused private wards of the Hospital into a Guest House and Conference Centre complex which has proved very effective.

The video tells the story.

Guest House

This picture shows part of the new Guest House extension at Vom Hospital.  The extension means that the facilites can cater now for small conferences as well as smaller seminars and retreats.

This Guest House and Conference Centre complex has enabled the Hospital to employ two Junior Doctors in 2008 that they could not have afforded otherwise.

The Challenge of Power

Electricity supplies in Nigeria are highly unreliable.  Losing power during an operation can be fatal, so MAI continues to fund fuel for the Generator that they provided, so that Dr Dido is able to complete surgery, such as the caesearean pictured here.

MAI has also funded major inmprovements in the water supply at the Hospital.

It makes a difference!

"I am so thankful for this Hospital", says the man pictured here. The man came to the Hospital was after experiencing severe stomach pains.  He was immediately admitted and operated on; something that was made possible through MAI's support.