We drove through miles of dusty rural India to visit Serenga Hospital for the inauguration of a new conference centre / library for the student nurses that are trained there.Our bus was escorted by a jeep full of armed guards as we got near. Communist rebels / terrorists.are active in the area. This is one of the challenges the hospital has had to face. They have a new boundary wall around the grounds because the rebels had been hiding out from the police in there. Although no-one had been hurt or threatened this fact had put of essential staff like trainers from coming here. Serenga hospital is 99 years old, and was set up by a Methodist Medical Missionary, and is the biggest free hospital for a long way around. It is looking its age, but it works thanks to the dedication of staff who largely work for no or very low wages sometimes with the most basic equipment. It gives the local tribal people hope and saves lives. For life in the idyllic looking countryside is not easy. Malaria, anaemia malnutrition simple diarrhea claim many lives. If the wet season isn't quite wet enough people starve to death.It is doing impressively well. The neo-natal unit has exceeded the millenium development goals target, and whereas a few years ago 12 women a year died in childbirth at the hospital that is now down to one. There are plans and more plans to improve the infrastructure of the hospital and serve the population better. They are saving for a new ambulance so that more people can be reached and they want to build an extension to the neo-natal unit so that mothers can be beside their ill babies. The hospital is totally dependent on outside support to function. The conference centre / library (and the boundary wall) was funded by The Methodist World Mission Fund, and the staff showed true gratitude for that gift from Methodists across Britain.
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