Land Rover Clinic Ambulance - similar to one shipped to Rwanda.
In the aftermath of the Great Massacre of 1993-94 in Rwanda (click here for map), relief efforts have been directed toward an attempt to rebuild the infrastructure of the desolate country. It was reasoned that the major difficulty in convincing the Rwandan refugees who fled to nearby countries such as Zaire, Tanzania, and Barundi, to return to their homes in Rwanda, was that there was little left to return to. Permanent medical facilities were being slowly rebuilt. This included the Mugenero Hospital which was largely destroyed during the civil strife. Many of the medical and hospital staff were assassinated.
The Bush Hospital Foundation/MediShare International determined that it could best serve by sponsoring and funding a mobile medical clinic - ambulance which would provide a facility and transportation for a medical team that would serve the basic medical needs of many resettlements and refugee camps as it traveled about the ravaged countryside. BHF purchased a British Land Rover and converted it into a mobile medical clinic which serves and continues to serve, as an ambulance and mobile clinic providing nutrition services, vaccinations and inoculations, first aid and the more simple medical treatment. It serves at various times as needed the little MediShare - funded Clinic in Kajire, Kenya, as well as Rwandan villages and refugee camps, wherever the need appears to be greatest.
The first medical staff consisted of a doctor (the devoted Dr. Mike Marks) and a nurse. They were replaced in time with other medical personnel recruited thru the African Medical and Research Foundation (AMREF).
Because of the success of this project, a second Land Rover was converted for similar use, and has now been added to the "fleet" of the MediShare-BHF clinics.
Note: There are now eight converted Land Rovers serving as mobile ambulance-clinics in African countries, and a ninth is enroute to Malawi for a special AIDS project.
MARCO continues to support projects in Africa and elsewhere with carefully selected shipments of medical equipment, supplies, pharmaceuticals, instruments, and vehicles funded by individual donations from MARCO members and supporters.
RCS