Text Box: Text Box: ROTARY INTERNATIONAL

District 9250

Botswana  S  Mozambique  S  South Africa  S  Swaziland

Text Box:

 

 

Public Relations & Communication

 

P O Box 36342, Menlo Park, South Africa, 0102

Tel & Fax: 012-362-0950  ˆ  Cell: 083-409-4203  ˆ  E-mail: ebes@mweb.co.za

 

 

                                                                                                        

INTERCONTINENTAL  MEDICARE  PROJECT

 

SWAZILAND 18 – 26 NOVEMBER 2002

 

The Rotary Foundation, with the assistance of thousands dedicated Rotarians renders service in all parts of the world through their unique humanitarian service projects.

The Intercontinental Medicare Project is one of such programs and is an example of great team work as well as international co-operation.

 

Rotarians from 4 Rotary districts ( 2 districts in India and 1 each in the USA and Southern Africa ) have worked together on this project.  Their Mission:

·              Rehabilitation of polio crippled children

·              Restoration of vision in visually impaired patients

·              Dental surgical care to needy patients

·              To promote interaction of surgical skills between Indian and the local doctors

of Swaziland

 

The team consisted of 13 specialist doctors, all from India and they were supported by 4 Rotarian volunteers from India, 4 from the USA as well as a number from District 9250 (which covers Swaziland, Mozambique, Botswana and South African provinces Gauteng, Mpumalanga, Limpopo and North West).  All the participating Rotary districts have provided the financial support to the project – matched equally by the Rotary Foundation.  The volunteers are financing their own travel and accommodation costs!  It is estimated that the total final cost to Rotary for this project will be in the region of R 1million.

 

The aim of this project was to provide specialised surgery and postoperative therapy, free of charge to over a thousand patients in Swaziland.  Most medicines and surgical supplies were flown in from India and was left in Swaziland on completion of the project.   The 4

Rotary clubs in Swaziland arranged and controlled the logistics and received the

wholehearted support of the Swazi Ministry of Health and Social Welfare

 

                                                                                                   .. 2..

 

 

 

 

The following numbers illustrates the extent of this humanitarian project:

 

DENTAL:       401 PATIENTS RESULTING IN 511 PROCEDURES

 

OPHTHALMOLOGY:  647 PATIENTS SEEN  -  115 OPERATIONS

 

GYNAECOLOGY:       270 PATIENTS RESULTING IN 58 OPERATIONS

-         14 MAJOR

 

ORTHOPAEDIC:  840 PATIENTS  RESULTING IN 83 OPERATIONS 

                               - 91 PROCEDURES

                               NB 50% OF THESE WERE CHILDREN

 

TOTALS:       PATIENTS SEEN  -  2158

 

                       OPERATIONS/PROCEDURES  -  858

 

 

Before this visit this team has already performed 2500 Intra ocular Lens implant Surgeries, 600 Polio and Orthopaedic Surgeries, 2000 Dental procedures,  ENT  and Plastic Surgeries in Uganda, Ethiopia and Nigeria over the last 5 years.  Other African

counties they have worked in are Zambia, Malawi and Tanzania

 

The Rotarians of district 9250 sincerely appreciates the specialised support given by Rotarians from India and the USA.  We do not only believe that they have provided a

valuable service to the less privileged in a part of our district, but that this project also

opened the door for themselves and other teams in the future!  For practical reasons it may

be necessary to change the composition of future teams.  Depending on the need it could

be advisable to concentrate on one or two specialties and extend the duration of the project.

 

Further details to be provided as required.

 

Eben Brümmer

Chairman: District Public Relations and Communications Committee

 

eb/11/02.