Old RAH medical equipment for Uganda, but money needed for shipping costs
A UGANDAN student studying in Adelaide who secured some surplus medical equipment from the old Royal Adelaide Hospital is seeking help to pay to ship it to his impoverished home town.
UNIVERSITY of Adelaide PhD student John Nelson Opio is thrilled to have secured a container load of surplus medical equipment from the old Royal Adelaide Hospital to send to his home town of Lira in northern Uganda.
Now he just has to figure out how to pay to transport it.
The equipment is part of the surplus supplies from the former flagship hospital which has gone to help communities in nations including Kenya and Papua New Guinea
However, in each case it is up to the people involved to organise shipping.
Mr Opio is hoping for community support to raise the funds and has set up an online donation site at gofundme.com aiming to raise $10,000.
“I am from Lira in Uganda and am in Adelaide primarily to pursue a higher degree by research at the University of Adelaide’s Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Joanna Briggs Institute,” he said.
“My involvement in this project came from my volunteer role as chairman of the Ugandan Community of South Australia. The equipment will help save lives and reduce impoverishment due to unnecessary referral costs outside Lira.”
“I really want to voice my appreciation to the people and Government of South Australia, the RAH, Rotary and supporters for their generosity.”
Mr Opio said Uganda aimed for a standard where no one had to walk more than 5km for medical care — but in Lira only a third of the population met this goal.
Years of conflict led by self-styled rebel leader Joseph Kony and the Lord’s Resistance Army in the region had caused destruction of property and infrastructure, impoverishment and health challenges.
“We need to ship this container load,” Mr Opio said. “The short time-frame we have to temporarily store equipment … before shipping presses us to appeal for urgent help.”
