The Dawning Of A New Era

The river is halfway up the tree trunk which marks the makorro stop behind our house. The river is high all along the banks. The landscaspe here is in constant flux. The new road being built has successive layers of surfasce put on it and levelled off. The tyre tracks on the dirt roads which have been carved in the land beside it, winding in and out of trees seem to develop and lose ruts and potholes by the day.

We’re entering a new and exciting phase here in Maun. It is only one third as exciting now as it was a week or two ago but it is still exciting. Initially Anne and I were to be responsible for setting up a new clinic in Sehitwa, 90K southwest of Maun on the shores of Lake Ngami. We were also given responsibility for re-energising the poorly attended Senonori Support Group Clinic and of re-establishing our relationship with Bana Ba Letsatsi which means children of the street and as you can see from it’s name is a charity for streetchildren and children orphaned by HIV.

Sehitwa and Senonori unfortunately had to be put on the back burner because of logistical difficulties. As Sehitwa is 90k away we would have had to have used a vehicle other than our backie which is in pretty poor condition because it has to cope with some pretty rough terrain and is driven by several different people each year who each have to get used to an antiquated backie and very rough roads. This problem was almost solved by a member of the Lutheran Church’s congragation offering to loan us a vehicle for the journey. The only problem was, they wanted us to pay for mileage/wear and tear to the vehicle at 3 pula per kilometer in addition to us paying for petrol.

Then there was the question of which day we should go. We’d all agreed that once a month was a good routine for a one day clinic at the Lutheran Church in Sehitwa. For the Sehitwa group Thursdays was a god day. For MHP Mondays were preferable. Because there were too many if’s and but’s this project has to beleft until we get a new vehicle in September.

Senonori is another pickle. The time before last when we visited we saw only one patient. We had a chat with Rosinah the Senonori Support Group leader and she suggested that it was due to people’s fear of being stigmatised that they didn’t come to see us. We had another discussion with Rosinah this week and she told us the following story. As well as people in the area being worried about becoming stigmatised if they are seen visiting the homoeopathic clinic there is also a problem with the support group itself with whom we work. I can’t be quite sure of what it is despite having spoken to Rosinah who is Senonori support Group’s founder. It has something to do with it not being registered with the regional council department which looks after support groups despite SSG having applied for registration 3 years ago. Rosinah tells me that in addition to a lack of local government support and the fear of stigma of it’s members there is also now a suspicion in the community that Maun Homeopathy Project is something to do with the local council and we are checking up on them.

We’d arranged with Rosinah on several occasions to speak at local Kgotla meetings but due to one cause or another they’ve not happened. So, we are to continue turning up at Senonori but not to expect much to happen.

So, like I said, due to the Senonori and Sehitwa projects being put on the shelf things are only one third as exciting as they appeared to be. We do still have Bana Ba Letsatsi to look forward to which we will begin in August.

Homoeopathy in the NHS

If you've read my last post, The Story So Far, you will realise that the future of NHS provision of homoeopathy hangs in the balance. This letter from Dr Peter Fisher, the Clinical Director of The Royal London Homoeopathic Hospital was forwarded to me today. If you read this post please lend your support by encouraging your MP to call for an Early Day Motion.

Parliamentary Early Day Motion on Homeopathy in the NHS28/05/2007
The battle is reaching a critical phase with important PCTs about to take decisions and the renewed attack this week by Born, Baum Ernst and co.

Our Early day Motion is doing quite well: 117 signatures so far. See http://edmi.parliament.uk/EDMi/EDMDetails.aspx?EDMID=33006&SESSION=885
it tells you who has signed and gives the full text of the EDM.

To get debate in the Commons we need 200 signatures.

Please check if your MP has signed at the website above. If s/he has not, please ask her/him to do so. The easiest way to do this is by email www.parliament.uk/directories/directories.cfm It tells you who your MP is if you don't know!

Suggested email text below

Subject: Please sign EDM 1240 in support of NHS Homoeopathic Hospitals

Dear xxx,

This is to ask you to sign Early Day Motion 1240 'NHS Homoeopathic Hospitals'. As you may know there are four NHS homoeopathic hospitals/specialist clinics in England (The Royal London, Bristol and Tunbridge Wells Homoeopathic Hospitals and the Liverpool Clinic). Despite their names, these units provide a range of complementary and alternative treatments, not just homeopathy, fully integrated into the NHS. They make an important contribution to the health of the nation and to patient choice, offering clinically-effective and cost-effective solutions to common health problems faced by NHS patients, including many chronic, difficult to treat conditions.

The homoeopathic hospitals are unique resources, highly valued by their patients, with a proud record of developing and providing safe, effective non-drug based treatments for common conditions. They have great potential to make further contributions, and to reduce the NHS's dependency on drug treatments.

The combined budget of these homoeopathic units is about £5m/year, a tiny proportion of the NHS budget. Yet in the current financial turbulence affecting the NHS their future is threatened by short-term, local, financially-driven decisions by PCTs.

I hope you will sign the EDM calling on the government to actively support these valuable national assets.

Yours Sincerely,
xxx

Thanks and best wishes
Peter
Dr Peter Fisher Clinical Director Royal London Homoeopathic Hospital Great Ormond Street London WC1N 3HR UK Tel (+44) (0) 20 7391 8890 (UCLH internal 18890) Fax 020 7391 8829 http://www.uclh.nhs.uk/rlhh