The Faile Foundation Board met at 6:30 p.m. at the office of Lee Jennings.  Present were Dr. George Faile, Elizabeth Faile, Drs. Paul and Cindy Shumpert, Dr. David Kearns, Dr. Willie Ree Howell, Vicki Barnes, and Martha Cates.   Paul opened the meeting with prayer.

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Cindy gave updates and reports on Baptist Medical Centre in Ghana, since she was there recently.  Greg and Wendy Nyhus are working out very well as volunteer coordinator, and their 3 children are doing well.  They are scheduled to be there until December, but would like to stay longer.   He is working with the accountant as well as staying busy with the increased number of volunteers.  We are funding Greg currently at $900 a month, and they receive $600 from his home church.   Cindy moved that we add $100 a month, David seconded, and it was agreed.

 

Edward Addai is the hospital administrator.  He is sharp and is working diligently to recruit surgeons and to keep the hospital running. 

 

Cindy received an accounting of the $25,000 we sent in January. (copy attached.)   There were no receipts included with it.  George explained that spending money for uniforms and appreciation allowance would be reasonable to the hospital, since those items are in the contract with the workers.  We did not specify how the money should be used. 

 

The hospital is having problems collecting insurance money from the government for those covered by the national health insurance.  The government has only paid approximately 25% of claims owed since September ’09.  The government claims that they aren’t paying because the paperwork is not correct.  Mr. Addai is working to correct this problem.

 

Rich Ambler, a family practitioner, goes about September 15 for ten months.  He will come home for a couple of weeks in March.   He will need money in Accra, the plane ticket in-country, and $100 a month for insurance.  He has asked for $1200/ month.

Dr. Ighohwo Etuh, the Nigerian surgeon from PAACS, is assigned to BMC and is coming in September for 2 years.  We will need to support him with $1500/month.

 

Dr. Kusi is the Ghanian surgeon that we voted to take on a temporary basis.  He came on August 2, and we are supporting him with $2000/month for 3 months.  He has completed med school and housemanship, and will return to his post after the temporary assignment.

 

There are 2 Cuban doctors, husband and wife, who have expressed interest in working at BMC.  They are asking for $4600/month.  After discussion, including the lack of documentation from them, Cindy moved and George seconded that we tell them “No” at this time.

 

The 2 medical students that we have been supporting should be starting their second year of housemanship.  Edward will find out about them.  Isabella Baba is in her last year of med school.  She has received money from the hospital for living expenses.  It was suggested to Edward that she sign some sort of promise of work for this money.  The Ghanian doctor, Dr. Asari, who had expressed interest in coming to BMC, was not released from his post so will not be coming.

 

The $7000 we sent for the transfer switch and its installation was well spent –it was working well!  Cindy also took the skin-grafting  equipment with her when she went in June.

 

Two doctors in training, Dr Hakim Ofosu and Dr. M.Aubrey. have been there helping and were hard workers and much help.   The hospital paid them $670/month.  It was suggested that in the future we should just help with living expenses when doctors in training want to work.  It is a good way for them to get experience, and we can hope they like working there well enough to come back.

 

Dr. Lou Smith, a surgeon, came for 2 weeks after our emergency appeal for help.  We gave her $1000 for expenses.  She plans to return and bring a team with her in the future.  Dr. Vince Wade has been once this year and is willing to go again in September for almost a month.  We will pay $1500 for travel expenses for him.  Christy Lee is a 3rd year OB-GYN resident who is planning to go in January or February for 2 weeks.  She hopes to go for a month the next year and plans to go to Nalerigu full time when finished.

The IMB wants Jimmy to sell some of the vehicles owned.  We discussed the ones that had been mentioned, but postponed any decision until we have more information.  Greg is currently using Earl’s vehicle.

 

Peter Faile is receiving his Master’s degree in International development in December in Cambodia.  He is willing to go to Nalerigu to research information for writing grants for us.

 

The hospital needs funding for the nutrition centre.  The Catholic church that was funding it has dropped its funding.  We decided to put out the word through newsletter and website;  maybe a church or an individual will be interested in working on this need.  Edward has plans drawn up for a new Nutrition Centre and a new Recovery Ward, both of which would be wonderful to have.

Currently we have about $340,000 in funds and have spent about $55,000 this year.  We actually have a credit in Accra for $1800, which can be used for some in-country expenses for volunteers.

 

Paul will get together a newsletter in the near future.  We’ll probably meet early in 2011 unless a need for a meeting sooner arises.

 

The meeting was adjourned.