A quarter of million pounds worth of life saving equipment was on its way to Tanzania this week after Rotary volunteers in Huddersfield swore to help reduce child mortality.
The 40-foot container is destined for Tanzanian town of Mwanza, on Lake Victoria, where the equipment will be transported by ferry to the island of Ukerewe.
For immediate past district Governor John Philip this was the first stage in making a dream come true.
In January this year, retired surgeon John and his wife Chris went to Ukerewe and were heart broken by the poor facilities of the local hospital which served a population of 350,000.
John said: “The hospital operating theatre and adjacent labour ward were so poorly equipped and in such a dire state of disrepair, that we were shocked. We learned that there were more than a 10,000 births each year there, but one in 16 children born in the hospital died, mostly due to preventable causes.
“As it was Rotary’s challenge during the last year to reduce child mortality from the shocking figure of 20,000 dying each day – the vast majority in sub Saharan Africa including Tanzania – we were determined to do something to help.”
John set himself the challenge of refurbishing the hospital in Ukerewe, providing them with life saving equipments and going out there with volunteers to install equipment, train staff and instigate a health awareness campaign particularly aimed at reducing the risk from the major killer – malaria.
All the equipment has been donated and Rotarians have raised the necessary finds for shipping and refurbishing costs.
John will lead a team of volunteers to Ukerewe in October. For more information contact him on johnphilip@btconnect.com.
