TWO Herefordshire doctors, who have prescribed themselves a dose of sunnier weather, are on a 'mission' to provide valuable support to an African hospital.

Richard and Karilyn Collins of Bodenham aim to work in Teule Hospital, Muheza in the Tanga province of Tanzania with an Anglican mission.

The mission, The United Society for the Propagation of the Gospel aids the government with the general running of the hospital.

After setting up a programme of palliative care, Mrs Collins aims to aid the hospital with any other work that is required and working with those suffering with incurable diseases such as HIV and AIDS.

Mrs Collins said: "At present there is no provision for them at all, so I hope to spread out from the in-patients in the hospital and start a home based project with, possibly, day care.

"My team to start with has two nurses, Florence and Mary, both of whom have been to work at St Michael's Hospice for six weeks. My aim is to take a tiny bit of St Michael's out to Tanzania and hope that it will spread."

Mr Collins will work as a medical superintendent and the general physician.

He said: "As a member of the management committee, I will help them to run the hospital. The hospital has 260 beds and a bed occupancy of about 125 per cent.

"I will be responsible for four medical wards, two general, one for TB and one for infectious diseases. As well as this, I will have two large outpatients clinics per week."

The couple may also be involved in theatre for emergencies and they will probably be on call once a week- covering the whole hospital.

Five years ago the pair helped to raise money for a generator for the hospital as the old one was unreliable.

Previously, during a caesarean operation, the generator broke down and Mrs Collins had to try to stop her patient bleeding while someone found a torch.

The couple will be in Tanzania for two years, and then home for a three-month break before considering the option of returning for a further term.