A global partnership
NHS Borders in Scotland, is linked to St Francis’ Hospital (SFH) in the Eastern Province of Zambia, near the town of Katete. As it has an excellent local reputation, the hospital looks after a much bigger population than other institutions of similar size, and also takes patients from across the border in Mozambique and Malawi.
The Logie Legacy is a Scottish Charity set up to support the formal twinning link between SFH and NHS Borders. We have been involved with projects over many years in areas such as Maternity; Paediatrics; Physiotherapy; HIV; Sexual Health; Pharmacy; Public Health; Ophthalmology; Radiology; TB control...and even football!
SFH functions as a level 3 institution partly funded by the Zambian Government, but this funding always falls far short of demands. The hospital team are very dependent on donor funding and overseas volunteers. Your interest and support is hugely appreciated. Come and take a closer look!
St Francis Hospital
The Logie Legacy - Supporting patients, staff and the wider public health
Where is it?
This teaching hospital is situated in a economically deprived rural area of Eastern Province in Zambia, a full day drive from the capital, Lusaka.
Founded in 1948, it is administered by a Joint Anglican Catholic Management Board, and funded as a Zambian Ministry of Health third-level referral hospital. The majority of patients are peasant farmers living in traditional villages.
It is a very busy general hospital for an immediate population of 200,000 and it is also a referral hospital for 1.5 million people living in the Eastern Province (and beyond) - an area the size of Scotland.
Care
The 450 beds are almost always occupied and the maternity wards are well over subscribed with over 4000 deliveries annually. Floor beds are frequently needed. Over 70,000 visits are made yearly to the out-patients department. Well over 6000 surgical operations are performed each year.
Patients are referred for surgery, serious medical, paediatric conditions and obstetrics by 14 rural health centres in Katete District and seven other hospitals and rural health centres in the Province.
Antiretroviral therapy is given to well over 5000 HIV patients, 140+ being children under 14.
Community
Although HIV drugs are free, money is needed to purchase other drugs, for infections and cancers related to HIV, and to treat other common important diseases, like malaria and TB. The Logie Legacy has traditionally been involved in clinical care but in recent years has developed a wider focus on Public Health by supporting water and sanitation programmes.
We are part of a network of other SFH hospital international partners involved in a variety of programmes. For example in Katete there are 2000 orphans who have been taken in by related families. Many are assisted by charitable funds, via the hospital, to attend primary school and purchase educational materials.
