Switzerland is once again experiencing a cold winter. In the Rhine Valley, temperatures are currently not rising above freezing. At night, the thermometer drops almost into the double-digit minus range. Snowy mountains and black ice on the sidewalks may make us forget that it is very hot in Kenya right now. In Kasambara-Gilgil it is currently 30 degrees in the shade.
On January 2, Stephan Holderegger passed away after a long and serious illness. To commemorate him and his life's work, the Rhine Valley Hospital in Kenya, the association of the same name is organizing a memorial service.
On the occasion of the death of Stephan Holderegger, Gert Bruderer wrote an article in the daily newspapers  "Der RheintalerÂ" and  "Rheintalische VolkszeitungÂ". It is posted on the online portal rheintaler.ch.
Nahashon Mwangi works with Mama Matata (hospital director Ruth Schäfer) in the Rhein-Valley Hospital office. Again and again, he observes that some patients are to be discharged too soon after treatment. Fortunately, Mama Matata then steps in and provides the important follow-up care, he says.
Victor Odor has been part of the Rhine Valley Hospital team for six years. As an office assistant, he has many duties to perform: Controlling water charges, preparing accounting, reviewing employee reports, organizing kitchen purchases, and keeping the community informed about hospital operations. Every year he prepares the circumcision of the boys.
As is required every October, Rhine Valley Hospital was required to pay its license fees on time in the fall of 2017. If the money is not received on time, a penalty of 50 percent would be due and added to the license fee.
In the months of October, November and December, Rhine Valley Hospital has to treat a particularly large number of patients with asthma, according to experience. In order for the team to meet the need, it adjusts to these cases. So did Joseph Muriithi Muriuki. He reports a specific case.
The medical student and Stephan Holderegges met at the University Hospital in Zurich. The reports about the work of the association in Kenya, aroused Ivan Skrebec's interest to get to know the Rhine-Valley Hospital. So in March, he traveled to Kenya, visited hospital staff.
The company Rossmax Swiss GmbH is located in Berneck. At the end of February, it moved its registered office to Widnauerstrasse in Heerbrugg. On this occasion, the company donated medical equipment worth about 3000 Swiss francs to the Rhine-Valley Hospital Association.
Bruno Rosenberger from Mettmenstetten did not know Mama Matata personally. He became aware of her when she was a guest on Kurt Aeschbacher's show on Swiss television. Animated by their reports, he visited them in Kenya in September 2017. Read the full trip report.
Rhine Valley Hospital Association | Flurstrasse 7 | CH-9450 Altstätten | info@rhein-valley-hospital.org | Imprint
