Curtis - p. 31 - Sultan Hamud: Nursing by Ox-Cart - by Barbie Adcock - 'My post was at Nairobi, at the Lady Grigg Nursing Association. The day after my arrival, Boxing Day 1933, Dr. J. Anderson rang me up in the morning and asked me to go on a goods train to Sultan Hamud, four hours down the line, to look after a private patient, and to write to him every day reporting progress. Off I went, sitting on a wooden seat in the guard's van. At Sultan Hamud the Asian Station Master directed me to the back of the small station, where there was a two wheeled ox-cart and an African driver. Soon, in the distance, I saw in a cloud of red dust what looked like a Wild West horse rider. When he got nearer I noticed his Kenya farmer's felt hat with a real leopard skin round it. He was very gracious and asked if there was anything he could do. 'Go and put the kettle on', I replied. After I had given my patient an urgent injection I told her that she was not to have any visitors. Her husband laughed and said, 'No fear of that, our nearest neighbour is 25 miles away and too busy on his farm.

Web - History of Mombasa Hospital - Throughout the period 1947-1985 the name of Kenneth Adcock was closely associated with the Hospital. He was a founder member of the Mombasa Hospital Association and its Chairman from 1947-1961 when he moved to Nairobi as Managing Director of his company. While in Nairobi he kept closely informed of the Hospital's affairs and was its valuable representative at the seat of Government. On retirement in 1968 he returned to Mombasa and in 1974 he resumed his Chairmanship, which at that time included substantial administrative duties, all in an honorary capacity, until retiring through ill health in 1985. He was awarded the OBE in 1978 for his work at the Hospital. His wife Marthe (Barbie) was founder at the library at the Hospital and served from 1947 to 1961 but her long involvement with the Hospital began much earlier, in 1933, when she nursed at the Hospital for a brief period. Mr & Mrs Adcock made an outstanding contribution to the Hospital's affairs. Mr Adcock was elected Honorary Life Member on 4th May 1992.