St Luke's Hospital

ST LUKE’S HOSPITAL

St Luke's is a mission hospital run by the South West Tanganyika Diocese of the Anglican Church of Tanzania (ACT). It is also commonly known as ‘Milo Hospital’ after the village where it is based, which is situated in Ludewa District in the Njombe Region of southwestern Tanzania. USPG has supported St Luke’s Hospital since the 1940s and contributes funds towards its running costs.

The hospital has 50 beds and serves an estimated 14,000 people. It has an outpatients’ dispensary that treats about 5,500 people a year. The hospital’s catchment area is made up of six villages:  Mavala, Mapogoro, Lipangala, Ludende, Maholong’wa and Milo itself. Together, these villages have a combined population of more than 9,000 people. Milo is one of the highest villages in the area, being over 700 feet (213 metres) above sea level.

St Luke’s Hospital coordinates an extensive primary healthcare network, including a programme of immunisation. Pneumonia, malaria, tuberculosis and diarrhoea are the most commonly treated ailments, but as there is a high incidence of HIV and AIDS in this part of Tanzania, the Church here is taking the lead in trying to make people aware of the dangers of HIV.

St Luke’s is one of three hospitals in Ludewa District. Of these, two are run by churches and the third is run by the government. Local communities are closely involved in the running of St Luke’s and the village chiefs all have places on the hospital’s management board. The board meets twice a year with the Bishop of South West Tanganyika Diocese, the Rev’d Mathew W Mhagama, as its Chair. Other board members are drawn from the Diocesan Office, the hospital itself, Ludewa District Council and village authorities from the neighbouring villages.