Balenesti Medical Center Needs Running Water

Balenesti is an isolated village about 2 hours south of Chisinau with 2,200 residents. Wonderful people that we instantly loved and trusted. Curt & Susan (members of the church) are Peace Corp volunteers that brought this project to us. The only village medical center is on the 2nd floor with a farmacie on the first floor. There are only 2 nurses, Olga & Maria, who work all hours day and night to help the people. There were 5 nurses but they lost 3 due to the stress of the long hours and overwhelming needs of the people. There is 1 doctor who comes to the center 2 times a week but he is about to retire. The nurses are wanting to have running water for sanitary reasons and also to make the center more attractive to a new doctor so they will choose to work there.

Olga is showing us how they pour well water from a bucket into the water container here and then pump the lever on the bottom to get water to wash their hands. They throw the full bowl of used water into the street as needed.

The is women's examination room...notice the sirups ladies.

This gentleman came in for care while we were there.

This is the little room where they are hoping to turn it into a small bathroom with a squat toilet and a sink.

These are some of the steps and the path to the current outhouse behind the medical center.

The mayor and nurses discussing how to go about getting this work done. We are going to pay for the project but they are looking for a contractor to give an updated bid. We told them to include the entire job on the bid...repairing the walls after the plumbing pipes are installed, painting, putting the terracotta tile backsplashes over the sinks, etc. The nurses were planning to do all that finishe work themselves to save money-unbelievably dedicated ladies!

Ghenadie Carusenco from the Chisinau branch was with us and he was helping translate for us and give ideas about the project. He is talking with Susan.

The waiting room.

The area inside the green fence is where they hoping to install the septic tank.

The mayor and the nurses seemed very pleased about our proposals. The mayor invited us to a traditional Moldovan BBQ in the woods as a closing celebration. No one had to bend our arms to accept that invite!! Ghenadie was quick to be sure he was invited too!