Being able to access medical information and advice with accurate diagnosis is critical for a healthy life
Hope Clinic's out-patients department (OPD) is a key part of health services for the community of Lukuli and the adjoining villages in Makindye. Our clinic is open 24 hours or every day. Our staff on duty always include a Clinical Officer, called Omusawo by the patients, and a midwife or a nurse specifically trained in maternity care. They are joined during the day and evenings with counselling staff, a dispensing pharmacist and laboratory staff as well as additional nurses and midwives for the specialist clinics.

Our specialist clinics help patients plan their time to visit us and take place alongside the main OPD and admissions.

The facilities were built and equipped in 2004 and 2005 with fittings donated by the European Commission and equipment purchased through grants from Rotary International and the Belgian Development Agency (BTC). Since then we have received a second delivery bed through the International Womens' Organisation (IWO) and replaced our maternal and child health equipment with another Belgian/ BTC grant. The power backup systems funded by Makindye and Cheltenham Cleeve Vale Rotary Clubs mean staff and patients are in a safe environment despite Uganda's frequent power cuts.

For patients, the laboratory is staffed from 8am to 10pm each day. We have equipment for blood oxygen (Pulse Oxy-meter) and haemaglobin analysis (Hemacue) and the Omusawo can use stethoscopes, specialist eye, ear and throat 'scopes and midwives can monitor mother and baby with a foetal heart-rate monitor with oxygen and nebuliser on hand if needed. Such equipment reassures our clients and encourages the staff that they have a range of tools for their work.

The clinic itself has a reception for all out-patients and admissions which is also the cashier. The waiting area has newspapers from Straight Talk and posters informing the clients on family planning, malaria, HIV transmission, protecting children from assault and details of our services and prices. There is a well equipped laboratory and two consultation rooms. The day dispensary and overnight drugs cupboard are managed by our pharmacist. The few drugs and commodities we receive free of charge are dispensed free, as directed by the Omusawo on duty. Other drugs are sold to ensure that we remain financially self-sustaining but at prices close to the wholesale cost and certainly lower than the prices charged at the for-profit drugs shops at the larger trading centres.

Our patients have access to information	Reliable lab testing is key to our OPD	Drugs, resold at close to wholesale price

Being a general practice facility means the OPD is also an entry point for maternity care services - we have two delivery rooms. For more serious cases, our ten beds across three wards mean that severely dehydrated children, adults reacting to their ARVs or other distressed clients can be given care and attention overnight, if necessary. A major benefit to the community from our Health Centre III being multi-service is that a patient attending with a cough or mild fever can also obtain advice on family planning, or STD testing or confidential HIV tests. The barriers to access that could exist through Stigma, the Time to go to more than one health facility and the risk of Inertia or Cost continuing their lack of Knowledge are therefore reduced. In terms of a comprehensive service, the S T I C K can be a 'stick in the rolling wheel' that can stop a patient's journey to a healthier life - or the Good Life. Hope Clinic Lukuli uses its hosted referrals model to break this bad STICK and has shared this with other implementers (film).