Club Changeover on Friday – if you haven’t yet replied, please ring me on 0419043042 to book seats at the Changeover Dinner this coming Friday night in the Barton Room in the Caledonian Hotel, O’Connell Street, North Adelaide on Friday 21 June, 6.30pm for a 7.00pm start.
Last week our guest speaker was midwife Kate Taylor who came to talk about portable ultrasound machines needed for rural areas in Cambodia. Kate started volunteering in Cambodia many years ago when she was an unqualified dental nurse looking to help people in any way she could. She was given a list of equipment to procure in Australia; otherwise they weren't interested in her volunteering as she didn't have any skills they needed. Within seven months, and with the help of DIK, she took the equipment to Cambodia with several people who could use them and she formed relationships with the Minister of Health for that and future projects.
Now a trained midwife, her volunteering is highly regarded due to high mortality of mothers and their babies. The portable ultrasound equipment in the rural areas can be used to train other nurses/doctors with the equipment and then leave them there for their use. Each ultrasound unit and computer costs $3800. The maternal mortality ratio in low income countries is 462 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births versus 15 maternal deaths per 100,000 in high income countries. This is mainly due to bleeding, infection, high blood pressure, obstructed labour/delivery or amniotic fluid embolism. Ultrasounds reduce this risk markedly. A team of sonographers from Monash provide their time, expertise, cover entire personal travel/accommodation expenses to partner with 2h's Cambodian midwives - an investment of over $30,000 donated in kind. An excellent talk, and we are exploring links with another club to invest half:half in this project.
Tomorrow (Thursday) will be Coffee Conversation if anyone wishes to come, but as we have our Changeover on Friday night; attendance numbers may be reduced at the White Picket Café.
Best wishes and have a great week. Yvette, President.
United in the spirit of Service we value truth, fairness and friendship; and we welcome the opportunity that Rotary gives us to contribute our talents and resources in support of others.
Rotary Club of Adelaide Light Mission Statement
To have fun and engage interest from new members and friends as we use our strengths for a better world here and abroad - a welcoming, flexible group having fun doing hands-on activities for positive impact.
