Haramaya University donated medical equipment to surrounding governmental health institutions on February 11, 2022.
While the health institutions which received the donation are Haramaya, Deder and Girawa hospitals and Haramaya University higher health center; the donated medical equipment are personal protective equipment like face mask and eye wear. The University has gained the medical equipment from its partner institution known as Christian Relief Services. Including these donations, the University has received around forty containers of medicines and medical equipment for more than the last ten years from its USA partner, Christian Relief Services.
At the donation occasion, Mrs Bethelihem Tesema, executive director for Bread and Water for Africa at Christian Relief Services, said that the donation is gained from the United States of America and its people. The donation is distributed through our partner Haramaya University to hospitals and it may reduce to some extent the hospitals problems of medicines and medical equipment shortage. She added that the hospitals should use the medicines and medical equipment wisely to address the society’s need. “If it is so, the donation will continue for the future, and I would like to present my thanks to Haramaya University for its unreserved cooperation it makes with us,” added Mrs Beterlhem.
Dr. Augustin Sisay, an American Citizen and a lecturer at Haramaya University as well as a representative of the Christian Relief Services institution, said, “I am serving Haramaya University as a lecturer and Christian Relief Services as an anchor for the last ten years.” Dr. Sisay continues, “After I identify the needs of the society, I try to convince Christian Relief Services institution to get the intended donation for the hospitals around the University and the people of Ethiopia to solve the identified shortage.”
He added, “I, in collaboration of the two sister institutions, facilitated to import forty containers medicines and medical equipment from America to Ethiopia for Haramaya University besides the current donations to distribute them to hospitals and other institutions through Haramaya University.” Dr. Sesay said that he does such helpful efforts because he loves Ethiopia and its people in whom he is a part.
Dr. Admasu Bogale, Haramaya University’s community services directorate director, in his turn, said that the current donation distributed to the hospitals is worth more than 845 thousand birr. He reminded the hospital representatives to promise to themselves so that they can properly use the medical equipment to appropriately address the people needs.
The hospital representatives also mentioned the repeated donations that they received from the Haramaya University and expressed their appreciation to the University and the donors for the donations made to them so far. They also added that because there is serious shortage of medicine and medical equipment in the hospitals, they need additional supports for the future.
By: Aweke Ayalneh
Photograph: Fuad Ahmed