construction team still busy

After blogging about the completion of the last construction project this is what they are now up to...(again taken from a longer article written by Megan Petock)

Mercy Ships Health Care Development team has begun the renovation and construction of a pediatric orthopaedic center in Seme Kpodji, Benin. Upon completion, the center will be used to provide rehabilitative and surgical care to disabled children.

The center will be operated by OSAREH, a local NGO (non-governmental organizational) dedicated to the care of disabled children. The president of OSAREH, Dr. Seraphin Gbenou, is a qualified pediatric surgeon and has practiced medicine in Benin for almost 20 years. Currently, he is a surgeon at a local pediatric hospital in Cotonou.

“When we initially looked at the project, we decided not to do it because the building was too far decayed. We went back about a month later with a specially trained architect, who knew it could be renovated, so we decided to take on the project,” said Construction Supervisor, Karl Schmutter.

Construction began six weeks ago, with a projected completion date of mid-November.

“We are renovating the old building, as well as putting up new buildings in the compound. When completed, it will be like a miniature hospital. There will be rooms for hospital beds, a surgical room, offices, and a consultation room,” concluded Schmutter. The building also includes space for patients to perform rehabilitation exercises and to be fitted for prosthetics.

Mercy Ships has hired workers from the community to complete the construction of the clinic.