Rotary Provides X-ray System for Children of Guatemala City
Two-thirds of the world’s population does not have access to basic X-ray services? That is a huge problem since sixty percent of all medical diagnoses require X-ray analysis.
John VandenBrink, a long time member of the Park Ridge Rotary Club, initiated a program to solve this world wide problem. The program is called WHIS-RAD, World Health Imaging System for Radiology. It is a low-cost, high-tech X-ray system designed to meet World Health Organization needs. The system is supplied by World Health Imaging, Telemedicine, and Informatics Alliance (WHITIA), a not-for-profit corporation founded by Rotarians, Northwestern University and suppliers of the equipment.
The program has grown over the past few years and now many local Rotary clubs are involved including - Arlington Heights Sunrise, DesPlaines, Evanston, Mundelein-Vernon Hills, Mt Prospect Sunrise, Winnetka-Northfield, and Elk Grove Village. International host Rotary Clubs include Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, Bergamo CITT’ Alta of Bergamo, Italy, Lusake, Zambia, Armenia, and Gros Islet, St. Lucia.
The latest installation was in Guatemala City, and will help the street children and the poor. To honor that occasion and the people involved in the installation, the Park Ridge Rotary Club presented a check to Ms. Ivy Walker, the CEO of WHIS-RAD, at the club’s regular noon meeting on January 26, 2011 at the Summit of Park Ridge. The money will help further the work of WHIZ-RAD.
Those who wish to find out more about the Park Ridge Rotary Cub can go to www.parkridgerotary.com.
By Don Ely
Director Public Relations
Park Ridge Rotary
Edited by
Steve Schermerhorn
Park Ridge Rotary