19 Feb Surplus medical equipment bound for PNG

Surplus and superseded hospital equipment has started its journey from Timboon to Papua New Guinea after another generous donation from the local healthcare service.

Timboon and District Healthcare Service has continued its support of Donations In Kind – an initiative of Rotary that seeks to assist developing countries with the reuse of health and education equipment.

Chief operating officer Sharon Rees said it was very rewarding for the organisation to move disused equipment out of storage knowing it was going to help communities in Papua New Guinea.

“It’s all still in working order and in most cases we’ve had to remove it from our operations due to its age or in some cases it gets superseded and no longer meets current standards,” she said.

“Tony Austin from the Rotary Club of Warrnambool came and collected it all last week and then it gets the once over to make sure it is fit for purpose before being shipped to PNG.

“Aside from making a difference to a developing country like PNG, the program also reduced unnecessary waste which is also a wonderful outcome for our organisation.”

This year’s donation was the largest yet, with two beds, several lifting hoists, blood pressure monitors, a jaundice light for babies, dialysis pump, keyhole surgery tools, a wheelchair and several boxes of assorted surgical equipment.

“We love that all this gear is going to be put back to work and that health professionals doing amazing work in places like PNG will have better access to equipment,” Ms Rees said.

“Being a good corporate citizen is really important to Timboon and District Healthcare Service. We’re proud to support Donations In Kind and congratulate Rotary for the initiative and their many volunteers for doing all the hard work.”