Syston Charity Celebrates 50 Years of Providing Medical Aid for Africa
Did you recently see the Inter Care post box topper created by Syston Knitting Banksy’s (SKB) in the Syston Highstreet? We are celebrating our 50th Birthday and what a way to knick off our celebrations! Thank you SKB for supporting us.
We thought we would take this opportunity to tell you more about us and what we do. Here is our story…
Small Charity with a BIG impact!
Inter Care is a small charity based in the Half Croft Industrial Estate in Syston. We have an office and warehouse on site with four members of staff and 40+ volunteers. Since the charity was established in 1974, £18.7 million worth of aid has been sent to mission-based health units in sub-Saharan Africa. Last year, Inter Care sent medicines for up to 76,400 patient treatments!
Patients across sub-Saharan Africa need our help
Our founder, Dr David Rosenburg (local GP), saw a desperate need for medical aid on his travels to Africa. The shelves in the small and rural health units of Africa were empty. Dr Rosenburg knew that his practice back at home could help. They were able to save the returned medicines from pharmaceutical samples and send them out to Africa in small parcels. This seed of an idea has developed, and we are now sending 20ft shipping containers of medical supplies including lab equipment and working with partners in Africa to purchase medicines in country.
Our mission is to prevent UK medical waste by providing surplus supplies to partner health units in Africa.
Our 80+ partners across sub-Sharan Africa (currently Tanzania, Malawi, Sierra Leone and Ghana) cannot easily obtain good-quality medicines and medical supplies. By providing good quality medical aid, we can ensure their most vulnerable patients can receive treatment free of charge through Inter Care’s donations. We are supporting both the environment and lives in Africa.
Information about the supplies we can receive:
All of the medicines and other specialist supplies are donated by pharmaceutical companies and corporate donors. Members of the public can send Inter Care basic supplies such as first aid items – please go our website for full details. Please note: All items must have at least 15 months to expiry date.
This small charity is helping patients in long term care – Dereck’s Story
Dereck lives in the hills of Moshi, Tanzania.
At just 22, Dereck is paralysed and wheelchair dependent. He’s had physical deformities of the lower limbs since his childhood, when the doctors thought he had polio.
Sadly, for the past decade he has been bedridden after gradually developing weakness in the lower limbs, which progressed to becoming completely paralysed.
Due to sitting on the wheelchair for a long time, he developed deep pressure sores on the back, both hips and lower limbs which led to septicaemia.
Dereck had a high risk of developing a life-threatening infection
After months of suffering, Dereck was admitted to Kibosho Hospital, in May 2022, due to severely infected grade 4 pressure sores.
These are the most severe type of pressure ulcer: meaning Dereck had a high risk of developing a life-threatening infection (NHS, 2023).
Inter Care have supported Dereck’s care for many months – We were lucky enough to meet Dereck.
At Kibosho Hospital, Dereck has received daily wound dressings, antibiotics with nutritional support to help his body heal.
When Inter Care staff and trustees visited Kibosho Hospital in October 2022, Dereck met and spoke with us saying “I am doing well now and healing. My wounds are getting better. Thank you”. His mother smiled at us in appreciation.
In November 2023), Dr Materu, Hospital Superintendent, updated us on Dereck’s situation: although still bedridden and paralysed, Dereck’s wounds have “markedly improved” because the antibiotics have cleared the infection and he is on alternate day wound dressing.
With Dereck’s needs being relatively high, his family could not afford to cater for his treatment. Inter Care’s support of antibiotics and other medical supplies have helped Dereck to continue recovering. His mother is very grateful, and the hospital staff are impressed with his improvement overall.
From left to right: Dereck, his mother and his nurse at Kibosho Hospital, Tanzania. Picture taken on Inter Care visit to Tanzania in 2022
Dereck sends his sincere gratitude and prayers to all Inter Care’s donors
We need your help
Inter Care have a very full warehouse of medical aid. We are not government funded and therefore, need your help to send these vital medical supplies to Africa by donating to our cause.
Here is an outline of this year’s plans:
? A 20ft shipping container to support one hospital and 10 health centres in Southern Malawi. This donation includes nurse uniforms, personal protective equipment, plus bandages and dressings. We will also be including some specialised supplies such as orthopaedic equipment, and wheelchairs for every health unit.
? A 20ft shipping container to support six health units in Sierra Leone. This container will include a corporate donation of handwash and a pallet of surgical sutures.
? A donation of antibiotics to be sent to Mlambe Hospital in Malawi. This will provide 16,800 patient treatments.
? Medical supplies to be sent in-country to 38 partner health units in Tanzania.
£29 could provide pain/fever reductions for 62 patients in Malawi.
£50 could supply PPE to a hospital in Sierra Leone to protect medical staff carrying out 100 procedures
£101 could send a complete set of diagnostic equipment to a Health Unit in Tanzania
To donate please go to www.intercare.org.uk or send a cheque to Inter Care, 46 The Half Croft, Syston, Leicester LE7 1LD
