Penicuik buys ambulance for African hospital

AMBITIOUS plans to buy an ambulance for an African hospital will soon become a reality for a Penicuik charity.
Over the past year, Penicuik for Africa has been raising funds to purchase an ambulance for the Chitambo community in Zambia.

At the PfA open meeting, in St James the Less Church hall, Penicuik, recently, the group approved embryonic plans for investing the £27,000 raised locally to buy an ambulance.

Penicuik for Africa chairman Dr Neville Suttle told the Advertiser that a group representative inspected a converted Landcruiser at the Toyota dealership in Lusaka, the Zambian capital. This vehicle has drawn the approval of senior staff in Chitambo hospital.

A second option to be explored by the PfA is to buy a Landcruiser from Toyota GB, have it converted in Germany and shipped to Lusaka. The two options are similar in cost, at approximately £25,000.

"We agreed a list of fixtures, such as supports for IV bags, and fitments such as support for an oxygen cylinder, and underbench cupboards for cool-box and medicines. An electric winch for emergency use in the rainy season will also be costed," added Dr Suttle.

Penicuik for Africa hope to deliver the ambulance in person next August in time for the hospital's centenary celebrations, which will also mark the link with Scotland. Scottish explorer Dr David Livingstone was buried in the area just over 100 years ago.