| Although Christian Life Ministries, founded by | | | | |
| Pastor Jackson Senyonga, is not a small | | | | When diving into the source of the problem, Dr. |
| organization in terms of the things it has done for | | | | Haglund and Pastor Jackson Senyonga found out |
| the Ugandan poor, it only took one small effort to | | | | that only $25,000 per year was budgeted for |
| lead to a very big change in the Ugandan hospital | | | | medical equipment at this national hospital. And, |
| system. | | | | the hospital hadn’t been received any new |
| | | | | equipment since 1999. Even that equipment, |
| When speaking at the Raleigh First Assembly of | | | | which was purchased by a $175,000 donation |
| God in 2006, Pastor Jackson Senyonga hoped his | | | | from a German bank, was second-hand and |
| message would embed itself in the heart of the | | | | about ten years old and when it was purchased. |
| listeners. He hoped to receive support and | | | | |
| educate his audience on the Uganda’s plight. | | | | With Pastor Jackson Senyonga as his advocate, |
| He couldn’t have ever expected the | | | | Dr. Haglund was introduced to the Ugandan |
| significance of his words to one particular listener, | | | | Minister of Health and cabinet members. The |
| Dr. Michael Haglund, a neurosurgeon at Duke | | | | group worked together to find a way to improve |
| University in North Carolina. Dr. Haglund had | | | | the hospital system so that patients could receive |
| made several volunteer trips to Ecuador and was | | | | better healthcare in their time of need. |
| intrigued by Uganda’s quandary. He | | | | |
| contacted Pastor Jackson Senyonga and soon | | | | When Dr. Haglund returned home, he realized how |
| after, accompanied him to Kampala Uganda. | | | | much excess equipment the Duke Hospital had |
| While there, Dr. Haglund spoke at a church service | | | | available to donate to this good cause. He |
| at Christian Life Church, the church founded by | | | | stumbled across a basement full of equipment, all |
| Pastor Jackson Senyonga. The service was held | | | | waiting to be liquidated for pennies on the dollar. |
| at a venue much like an athletic stadium that | | | | He networked with colleagues and bosses and |
| housed 15,000 Ugandans. Dr. Haglund spoke | | | | lobbied for Duke’s castoff equipment to be |
| briefly with a vow to return with medical | | | | sent to this disadvantaged hospital in Kampala. |
| equipment. As he finished his speech, he was | | | | He even came up with creative ways to raise |
| commended with a standing ovation from the | | | | funds to help the Ugandan hospital. For example, |
| thousands of Ugandans; tears immediately rushed | | | | he changed his attitude toward those pesky drug |
| from his eyes at the thought of his chance to | | | | and equipment sales personnel doctors often try |
| greatly change such a troubled nation. | | | | to avoid and started to solicit donations from |
| | | | | them. |
| After the service, Dr. Haglund and Pastor Jackson | | | | |
| Senyonga toured the Kampala hospital. He was | | | | Dr. Haglund was able to donate over $1.1 million |
| moved at the desperation he saw there. The | | | | worth of usable, excess equipment from Duke |
| facility was larger than that of the Duke Hospital, | | | | Hospital to the Kampala hospital. In addition, he |
| with over 1,500 beds, yet it only housed one | | | | was successful in soliciting enough donations to |
| working ventilator, a breathing machine vital for | | | | have it all shipped to Uganda and volunteers to |
| surgery and general patient care. Duke Hospital, | | | | help train the staff on how to use the |
| as a reference, has several hundred of these | | | | equipment. |
| machines on hand. At the Kampala hospital, | | | | |
| doctors carefully consider which patients need the | | | | Dr. Haglund realized that this one-time donation |
| sole ventilator the most, and consider how the | | | | would not be able to fix the problems with the |
| use of the ventilator can save the most lives; | | | | Ugandan hospital system. So, he established the |
| however, often times this decision condemns | | | | Duke Global Health Plus to donate surplus |
| some patients to high risk surgery or even | | | | equipment and supplies to struggling hospitals |
| death. The decision to risk a few to save the | | | | around the world. |
| sum is a stressful decision that no human being | | | | |
| would want to be responsible for. Dr. Haglund | | | | Each year Dr. Haglund brings a team of medical |
| noticed the staff at the Kampala hospital would | | | | personnel and other volunteers to visit Pastor |
| try to make due without ventilators by manually | | | | Jackson Senyonga’s church, Christian Life |
| squeezing air bags to keep patients alive. He | | | | Ministries. They also visit the orphanages that |
| even witnessed a car accident patient that was | | | | Pastor Jackson Senyonga started as well as |
| on the ventilator die when the power went out. | | | | empowering the hospital with both skill training and |
| As the power came back on, the ventilator did | | | | hands on medical help to people. |
| not reset correctly and didn’t provide the | | | | |
| patient with enough oxygen to sustain the fragile | | | | God must have had a hand in this tricky play of |
| life. An oxygen monitor would have been a vital | | | | fate. He placed Dr. Haglund in a congregation |
| tool to alert the nurses of the problem. | | | | with open ears and an open heart on the same |
| | | | | sweet day that Pastor Jackson Senyonga was |
| Dr. Haglund and Pastor Jackson Senyonga | | | | speaking at his local church. Had either Dr. |
| witnessed that there were actually unused | | | | Haglund or Pastor Jackson Senyonga ignored |
| ventilators at the Kampala hospital; however, the | | | | God’s calling to spread the word and help |
| ventilators were out of commission due to a | | | | God’s people, the hospital system in Uganda |
| shortage of replacement filters for the | | | | could still be playing lottery with the lives of its |
| machines. These filters only cost approximately | | | | patients. Let us be thankful in the mysterious |
| $5 in the United States, and Dr. Haglund pledged | | | | ways that the Lord brings people together to |
| to bring some back. | | | | accomplish great things. And let us be thankful |
| | | | | to Pastor Jackson Senyonga and Dr. Michael |
| Other equipment pieces, equipment that American | | | | Hugland for providing such great example of how |
| doctors take for granted like heart monitors, | | | | very average people can make a difference in |
| microscopes, and IV pumps, were no where to | | | | the world just by being an advocate for a good |
| be found. | | | | cause. |