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Brief History of Mosvold Hospital

In 1936 the Scandinavian Alliance Mission (now called the Evangelical Alliance Mission – TEAM) set up a rondavel at Ingwavuma which served as a dispensary and two bedded ward. The most senior staff were Norwegian nurses, Miss Brunvaer and Miss Sodgren. The L-shaped stone building, now used for accommodation was built in 1937 and used as an 11-bed ward, dispensary and minor surgery theatre.

The first resident medical officer was Dr Douglas H Taylor who came from the USA in 1949. The first Zulu nurse is thought to be a Harriet Khumalo.

In 1952 the hospital was expanded to much of its present form and student nurse training began. The name Mosvold came from the family of Esther Mosvold, a Norwegian nurse, who persuaded her wealthy family, who headed a shipping company, to provide much of the money for the new buildings.

The first two satellite clinics were at Ndumo and Ophondweni. Dr. Don Morrill arrived in 1950 and started flying from the hospital in early 1958. Late in 1958, missionary pilot John Snavely arrived at Ingwavuma. Dr. Morrill and Mr. Snavely would use aviation in support of the Mosvold Hospital work until late 1974 and early 1977 respectively

In 1978, the national government obliged the KwaZulu government to purchase the hospital from the Evangelical Alliance Mission. The land around the church was not purchased, allowing missionary work to continue. Over the following two years the TEAM doctors gradually left, as the mission did not wish them to be employees of the South African Government. They were replaced by a succession of army doctors. Dr Taylor left in 1980. Dr Morcom worked as an army doctor from 1982-5 and then returned as a civilian superintendent for 1990-2. The husband and wife Buchman doctors worked here in the late 1980s, and were for a while the only doctors at the hospital. Dr Ross organised a full complement of doctors from Britain in the mid 1990s, who were the majority from 1994-1998. In 1999 the first community service doctors came to work at the hospital who have formed a large part of the medical staff since then. Difficulty for all foreign doctors registering in South Africa stopped the flow of doctors from Britain in 2000, but the hospital has managed to stay reasonably well staffed with medical officers in recent years.

Dr Andrew Ross, his wife Glenys and children Michael and Jonty, left Mosvold in January 2003.

In November 2002, the management structure of the hospital was changed. Having previously had a Medical Superintendent as head of the hospital, the post of Hospital Manager was created. Miss BL Myeni was appointed as Mosvold Hospital’s Hospital Manager in November 2002. Matron Ntsele became the Nursing Manager in January 2003 and Dr Hervey Williams was appointed as Medical Manager in February 2003.

Miss BL Myeni tragically died in May 2005, and was succeeded by Mr. SV Vilakazi as Hospital Manager in October 2005

 

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