By JONATHON HOWARD
THE Rotary Club of Noosa has helped complete a mammoth task transporting tonnes of medical equipment to Mozambique, Africa.
The club partnered with Australian travellers John and Aliye Panos to fill a 40-foot-long container with hospital beds, linen, walking aids and medical equipment ready for shipping to Beira Central Hospital in Mozambique.
It was the second container to be sent in the past two years.
The latest container was filled with 28 hospital beds, three operating tables, 83 walkers, 37 wheel chairs, 40 hospital mattresses and other medical equipment.
All of the medical equipment was donated by Queensland hospitals and nursing homes.
Over the last 30 years, John and Aliye Panos have travelled southern central Africa extensively together, abandoning the tourist enclaves in favour of less travelled areas.
Purely by chance, while travelling through Mozambique in 2010, the adventurous couple met a member of the Beira Rotary Club, who organised a comprehensive viewing of the Beira Central Hospital.
The chance encounter led to the ambitious project to transport medical supplies.
Rotary Club of Noosa president Tess Alexandroff said the project cost was estimated at almost $350,000 to date.
“Arrangements were now being made for reassembly of the larger pieces of medical equipment and it is anticipated that distribution to hospitals and clinics in Mozambique will commence within the next three weeks,” she said.
“Mozambique is one of the poorest countries in Africa and this equipment will be of lasting benefit to many people often hospitalised in unsanitary and impoverished conditions.”
The project was a co-operative effort between Noosa Rotary, Jindalee Rotary, Queensland hospital and nursing homes as well as Beira Rotarians.
Beira Rotarians raised about $9000, which paid for the purchase of the container and all freight costs.
