safe patient handling for zimbabwe

My slogan has been “uniting the world of safe patient handling” for some time now. Also, I love Africa. So when I hear of stories like this next one it makes me so happy to know that there are people who care about our neighbours. This story was submitted by Ken Cookson, Manual Handling Advisor of Aintree Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in Liverpool.

I have an old friend in Zimbabwe he has lived and worked there for 27 years. In June this year I acquired for him a full 40’ container of medical equipment consisting of Huntleigh trolleys, Kings Fund beds, hoists, sterilisers, suction machines and an old operating table weighing at least 250kg

It was extremely difficult to co-ordinate everything, keeping hold of the equipment, loading the container, wording the inventory for Zimbabwe Customs. The whole shipping

operation cost £5500 and included pickup from Aintree, ship from Felixstowe to Beira in Mozambique then overland via rail to Harare. If purchased new the equipment today would cost over £100,000.

Was it worthwhile? Well take a look at the images sent back from a rural hospital in the NE of Zimbabwe showing the beds and trolleys in use – it makes it all worthwhile.

The story started in January when I met up with my old friend Dr Bill Moore who has lived in Zimbabwe for 27 years, we have known each other for 47 years. Bill is the Chief Executive of a metal producing company in Zimbabwe and also in South Africa where he travels frequently.

Bill is actively involved with the Order of St John and also the Rotary Club and when we met he told me of the difficulties being experienced in some of the remote cholera clinics and how he was visiting them and trying to help. The total lack of appropriate equipment seemed to be a major problem, no trolleys, hoists or wheelchairs etc.

At that time I was leading a project here in the hospital to replace old but functioning trolleys within the accident and emergency dept, I had also just completed the changeover from hydraulic beds to electric profiling beds so had some beds available too.

I did not have the authority to donate the items so I asked Bill to write to the hospital to make a formal request, this was granted so all that was needed now was a sponsor to pay for the shipping!

At first it was thought that the Anglo American Foundation would fund it but this fell through. I was collecting and storing equipment and getting into trouble from Hospital Managers as it was taking up valuable space. On many occasions I was told to dispose of the equipment but kept asking for I more week until the funding arrives.

I was given a final ultimatum “…if you do not have a sponsor by Saturday then the stored items will be disposed of as scrap”

You may find this hard to believe but on the Friday I received a text message from Zimbabwe telling me that a sponsor had been found to pay the full shipping costs – only 24 hours before the final deadline.

It was hard work but I am really pleased that I have played a small part in helping out other health care professionals and patients in another country. Yesterday the Matron at one of the hospitals in Zimbabwe sent me these images showing the equipment being used – I just keep looking at them and reminding myself that it was definitely worth the effort.

As told by Ken Cookson

If anyone else would like to organise something similar, there are plenty of hospitals in South Africa and Zimbabwe who could really use your unwanted equipment. If Ken’s story has motivated you, don’t let your estates dept throw away old equipment. Please contact me and let us together, “unite the world of safe patient handling”.