DEAR EDITOR, our readers will know of the concern I have recently expressed through your columns of the likely suspension of the help rendered through my partner charity in New Zealand, ‘Take My Hands,’ (TMH) if the second payment of NZ25, 000 is unable to be met in accordance with the terms of the MOU signed between the MOHMS/NRH and TMH for the further shipment of 8 to 10 containers per year of medical equipment and medical supplies to the NRH and provincial hospitals.
I am well aware of the constraints on the MOHMS when it comes to continuing to support such a service but believe the benefits to the medical services in terms of value for money and the aid rendered to the sick, the visibly impaired and the needy, as exemplified by the past consignment of clothing and footwear to the Hearts of Hope Charity and the Honiara Eye Centre, far exceeds the minimal payment needed to extend the help from New Zealand.
In going the extra mile for the Solomon Islands and knowing of my concerns, TMH has come up with a novel way to try and resolve the expected deficit in funds and in doing so has proven once again the ‘Good Samaritan’ the charity is.
TMH has just launched a new campaign which is titled ‘Become a Super Hero.’
The campaign is expected to raise funds to help the freighting of the medical equipment and supplies the NRH really does need on an ongoing basis and even the most basic of supplies such as surgical gloves are known to be in short supply as I write. In one provincial hospital the supply of such gloves is already exhausted.
Quoting from TMH campaign notice here is what is said:
“For as little at $50 you can ‘purchase’ a stunning piece of medical equipment and a space in one of our TMH shipping containers. Your equipment will then be shipped to one of our amazing health provider partners in the Pacific. It’s kind of like buying that chicken or goat for a village campaign you hear about, but with medical equipment.
“Here’s our price list:
$50 gets you a wheel chair, or a medical trolley, or half a pallet load of gloves and masks, plus we’ll throw in the equivalent of a 1/4 ft in one of our shipping containers.
“$100 gets you a wheel chair, three legs AND a few boxes of gloves and masks and we’ll throw in FOR FREE the equivalent of a 1/2 foot in one of shipping containers.
$200 gets you a hospital bed and the equivalent of 1 foot in one of our shipping containers. AND For a limited time only we’ll also throw in three legs, a walker and six random feet! It’s a bargain!!!
I really do take my hat off, so to say, to TMH and the good people of New Zealand that generously give their time and donations, in both cash and kind, to TMH to aid the worthy causes in the Solomons.
In giving such thanks to TMH I want also to once again acknowledge the kind support of the Solomons Forest Association (SFA) and the donations made to TMH through the President and the Board to have ensured the freightage of medical equipment to the NRH and the HOH for the past few years.
Yours sincerely
Frank Short
