St John brings hope to Zambia with donations

Mt Barker St John Ambulance will send an outdated ambulance to Zambia in an effort to help improve medical services in the African country.

The donation is part of a partnership with charity Health Hope Zambia, which will also take an ambulance from Bridgetown across the Indian Ocean.

Health Minister John Day said the donation of the two vehicles to Zambia would expand the country’s public ambulance service.

“I commend St John Ambulance for its years of work with Health Hope Zambia,” he said.

“Until St John donated four former WA ambulances, Zambia had no public ambulance service.

“The first ambulance doubled as a mobile clinic, delivering primary health care for up to 80,000 people a year across Zambia.

“The two ambulances leaving Perth this week were donated by the Mt Barker and Bridgetown sub-centres and will be used to help support services for expectant mothers.”

Premier Colin Barnett paid special tribute to the work of Health Hope Zambia, which has organised the shipment of six containers from Perth to Zambia and one to Uganda, as well as the delivery of one million malnutrition meals from North America to Africa.