MSELENI HOSPITAL P.O. Sibhaya 3967, KwaZulu Natal, SOUTH AFRICA Tel: +27 (0)35 574 1004 Fax: +27 (0)35 574 1826

Originally a mission hospital, which developed from a clinic service, Mseleni Hospital is situated in a remote part of northern KwaZulu Natal. It is 60km from the border with Mozambique and provides Primary Health Care for 75,000 rural people.

It is a 184-bed hospital which is split into 6 wards (labour, female surgical, paediatrics, male, female medical and isolation wards). The hospital runs 8 clinics in a catchment area of 100 x 30km. It has a therapy department, a radiography department with x-ray and ultrasound machines, a pharmacy and a laboratory.

Outpatients department serves as a doctor's waiting room during the day and also a 24-hour emergency department. Most of the time there are between 5 and 8 doctors employed by the hospital. This number includes community service doctors.

Despite no longer being a mission hospital, it is still run in the same way. There is a strong Christian ethos--many of the staff are Bible believing Christians, and ward prayers are held every weekday where a local preacher brings the word of God.

Mseleni Hospital is part of the rural community. Mseleni Children's Home shares the hospital site. The children's home also runs an AIDS orphan care project called Lulisandla Kumntwana. Vuka Mabaso is a community development project which runs a computer centre, a library and a hall which is used for anything from weddings to school graduation ceremonies.