The Northern District Hospital (NDH) on Santo has a new ambulance to save more lives, thanks to rotarians in Japan.
This donation was made by the Rotary Club of Kawasaki North (KNRC) in north Japan, through the Kawasaki Fire Department.
A delegation of the Rotary Club members led by President Nobuo Yanasgisawa were in Port Vila last weekend to deliver the vehicle to the Health Department.
The group handed the ambulance key to the Director General of the Ministry of Health (MOH), George Taleo, at the Vila Central Hospital(VCH) on Saturday.
While thanking the Rotarians, DG Taleo emphasized to everyone present that it is not the first time for the Kawasaki Rotary Club to support health in Vanuatu.
KNRC and Vanuatu established relations in 2001. At that time Vanuatu declared a malaria epidemic so the club made its first donation of microscope equipment equipped with camera device to VCH.
According to DG Taleo, this not the first time KNRC donated an ambulance. He said the first one given in 2012 is still effectively functioning, “ said DG Taleo.
In 2004, KNRC in partnership with the Rotary Club of Kawasaki Nakahara sent an electron microscope and an electric generator to Aneityum.
During their first visit to Port Vila in 2006, KNRC brought three more microscopes. In 2008, the club came visiting again with medical equipment such as stethoscope, blood oxygen meter, astral lamps and dry cell batteries including a lot of bed sheets.
In 2009, the club sent a new sysmex hematology machine in which the VCH Laboratory is still using until now for diagnosing patients.
They also sent a blood analyzer sysmex kx-21 (supported by sysmex corporation, training and maintenance to VCH).
In 2010, they (KNRC) invited the VCH team to their 50th anniversary ceremony in Japan. The first ambulance was donated to VCH Emergency Department in 2012 and was used during the ACP Meeting.
This year KNRC could not donate anything more since they have to save some money for maintenance and transportation for the ambulance from Japan to Port Vila.
DG Taleo on behalf of the newly formed government applauded the Rotarians for their assistance. He stressed while the population of Vanuatu increases every year, the demand of health care is also high.
Taleo said that through the Rotary’s many assistance, Vanuatu will be declared malaria free by 2020.
President of the club Yanasgisawa said they are proud to support health in Vanuatu.
“We hope the ambulance is utilized to its fullest used to serve people everywhere including rural areas.”
