Tuesday, December 15, 2009

All I Want For Christmas is an Autoclave!

Yep, I'm serious. This is what I want.

It's for the Bechina Clinic. Bechina is a clinic that serves about 500,000 patients a year. They need an autoclave. They need to steralize reusable needles, medical instruments, and guaze. The Clinic is the project of my friend, Mulu. Mulu is a nurse. She's Ethiopian. This is the Clinic that serves her home community in Gojjam Province (near Bahir Dar).

A few years ago Mulu began a non-profit, Clinic At A Time to provide assistance to Bechina Clinic. Watch their YouTube video HERE . I'm inspired to help. Infection is the number 1 cause of morbidity and mortality in Ethiopia (and resource limited countries more generally). An autoclave sterilizes equipment to prevent the spread of infection through medical equipement itself; needles, guaze, medical instruments all get steralized in an autoclave.

Once we get an autoclave, we'll start filling a shipping container with medical supplies - and that's a piece we will work on covering next. Shipping a container costs about $8000 - but we MUST have an autoclave in the container. Bechina desperately needs an autoclave. They identified this need as priority #1 right now.

Anyone, anyone - an autoclave? Readers who are dentists, scientists, medical workers - look around! I know there are autoclaves at university swap shops, in back rooms at dentist offices, unused in labs....Check your university swap shops, ask your friends and neighbors. All of this is, of course, tax deductible through  Clinic At A Time.

Let's find one!
ETA: a rich auntie would do fine, too - because I know where to buy one!

4 comments:

Bonnie said...

How much are they?

M and M said...

Bonnie, used about $3K, ulitmate about $33K - ergo, rich auntie. We are really hoping a lab or business will 'donate' and get a huge tax write-off. That would be so groovey. I can't even imagine anything for myself anymore...seriously. Except for take out dinner-I haven't given that up, yet.

Stacy said...

I linked to you in my current post. Let's hope that this happens soon.

M Stokes said...

Hi, found out about your need for an autoclave from Stacy's blog. I wish I had heard about this sooner. Our community in Canada (Woodstock, New Brunswick) recently built a new hospital and I think they got rid of the one in the old hospital and the new hospital had all new equipment. I am positive that this is gone now and it is no longer around. I'm not sure if you're interested in a used one or not. I am aware of another hospital being torn down in our area and can maybe make some inquiries if you want. E-mail me and let me know if you do.

Sincerely,
The Stokes Family
Woodstock, New Brunswick, CANADA
waiting for a referral for an infant girl for 20 months from Ethiopia