Providing surplus medical equipment to resource the health system in Uganda.

Photo: Sister Grace at the ante-natal clinic of the under-resourced Amach Health Centre, Lira District.

Fulcrum Aid is partnering with the Ugandan Community Of South Australia (UCOSA) to supply medical equipment to medical facilities in the Lira region of northern Uganda.

The opening of the new Royal Adelaide Hospital in South Australia has provided a unique opportunity to source surplus medical equipment from the old hospital site. Medical equipment that is not needed within the South Australian health system is being made available to not-for-profit organisations for shipment to developing countries. The distribution is managed by Rotary Donations in Kind.

John Opio is Chairperson of UCOSA and is the manager of the project. John is a PhD candidate with the University of Adelaide and has a background in public health and community development in Uganda. His knowledge of the public health system has been instrumental in facilitating the connections with the recipient health facilities and identifying the most appropriate medical equipment.

The main recipient of the medical equipment will be the Lira Regional Referral Hospital which serves an estimated 2.5 million people from eight districts across Northern Uganda. The region is severely war affected, with the local population consisting largely of subsistence farmers. The region also hosts thousands of refugee arrivals from South Sudan, Congo and Somalia. Their critical health needs place an additional burden on the under-resourced health system. Equipment will also be supplied to outlying health centres in the region.

Fulcrum Aid is working with John Opio and UCOSA to raise funds for the shipment of the equipment. A warehouse and local transportation has been provided by our friends at Kokoda Angels and when the securing of medical equipment is complete we will commence planning for freight and delivery, plus the necessary training.

This project has been successfully completed and is now closed.