Koinonia Community Dispensary
Today, the dispensary has a health officer and a professional nurse, while a medical doctor visits regularly. More than fifty people seek treatment at the dispensary each day.
When Mthunzi Centre launched operations, the Koinonia Community incurred very high medical bills for the treatment of its resident children. It was therefore decided that a nurse be hired and a small infirmary set up for the children.
However, proper health care is out of reach for most people in Zambia. This inspired the Community to build a proper health facility and put it at the disposal of the local society. The children’s infirmary gradually developed into a regular dispensary, now serving an average of 400 patients per month (May 2008).
It has a full time health officer and a professional nurse, while a medical doctor visits to attend to the most serious cases twice a week.
Providing its health services for a minimal fee, the dispensary is open to the general public. It caters for the whole community while giving special attention to expectant mothers and babies.
The most common diseases are malaria, diarrhea, upper respiratory infections, skin infections, basic injuries, eye and ear diseases, genital-urinary infections and STD. Medical assistance and drugs are given free of charge in certain cases. On average, medication valued at 1,2 million Zambian Kwacha (approximately 250 euros) is given out free of charge, every month, to patients who cannot afford to pay and otherwise lack access to alternative medical care.