Introduction:
Why mission hospitals are valuable.

1. They provide a focus of expertise
• expertise from accumulated knowledge and experience
• expertise from international short- and long-term personnel
• expertise from mission IT and information access
2. They provide a focus for training
• training in curative & preventative, public health & community
• training for doctors, paramedics and managers
• training in attitudes of compassion and service
3. They provide a focus for witness
• witness to patients, eg literacy classes, charity fund
• witness to community and church, eg social action programmes
• witness to governments and other aid agencies, eg rural priority
4. Weaknesses in the mission hospital concept
• sustainability (but is this an appropriate criterion for mission anyway?)
• non-integration of services (need for government to govern)
• non-accountability to local communities (need for participation)
5. Mission hospitals: the way forward
• re-focus supporting agencies and donors to the long term
• listen to local stakeholders for locally appropriate futures
• be pro-active to affirm their place in the health system and place in the Kingdom strategy

Conclusion:
Missions cannot afford NOT to have mission hospitals.