By Robert Griffin
Monday, Feb. 8, the Diocese of Fredericton received word that the Ho Mobile Medical Clinic Project received a significant grant from the Rotary Foundation.
The Rotary Club of Grand Manan had applied last June for a grant to match the $50,000 USD contributed by Rotary District 7810, New Brunswick and Northern Maine, and a 50 per cent match to the funds raised by the Rotary Club of Grand Manan and the Diocese of Fredericton. The diocese and Rotary are partners in this project.
The total budget of the project, of over $265,000 Canadian, will purchase a mobile clinic vehicle, suitable for the harsh conditions of the roads in the Volta and Oti regions, and a significant number of pieces of medical equipment.
The mobile clinic will operate as a field hospital, similar to mobile army hospitals. The vehicle will carry tents on its roof, which will be deployed as examination rooms, and procedure tents. Minor surgeries and procedures will be carried out by the medical team that will accompany the clinic.
The clinic itself will act as a medical lab, with blood and urine analysis units, lab grade microscopes, and other instruments that would be found in Canadian hospital labs.
Update Feb. 24: About $16,000 still needs to be raised for the project. Donations may be sent to the Diocese of Fredericton, at 168 Church Street, Fredericton, NB E3B 4C9.
You can also donate online. Choose “Diocese of Ho Mobile Medical Clinic” from the drop-down menu under the words General Funds.
To learn more about the background of this project, click on this link. Find the story on page 8.