From our news staff

A Birmingham medical charity  has raised more than £1500 to save  the lives of mothers in developing countries.

Ammalife, which is backed by this website,  was supported by a wide range of city businesses  to organise an auction to bring in donations.

The charity uses the expertise of medical staff at The Women’s Hospital to pinpoint problems in countries around the world in caring for women during pregnancy and childbirth.

One life threatening condition for expectant mothers is eclampsia, a medical convulsion  that can  endanger life.

Simple monitoring equipment can highlight this disorder so patients can be successfully treated.

The £1500 raised will  be used to buy  this vital medical  kit to help  Dr Soha Sobhy who is working with Ammalife in a hospital in Malawi  (read her  blog here: malawimothers.blogspot.co.uk).

She realised that simple equipment,  such as blood pressure monitors, improve care.  She  carried out simple research and found that,  in one maternity  ward,  16% of the patients had undiagnosed eclampsia or pre eclampsia.

Ammalife identified this problem and the cash will buy the kit for  Dr Sobhy and her Malawian colleagues in Blantyre.

It is that simple. By pinpointing one doctor who needs specific equipment, Ammalife  saves on administrative costs and everyone who donates knows exactly where the cash  is going.

Maria Gee, Ammalife treasurer,  said: ‘We can’t solve all the problems of Malawi’s impoverishment.’

‘But we can get some essential kit to  Malawi.’

The auction was supported by donors as diverse as The Royal Ballet, Carters Restaurant of Moseley, photographer Neal Williams and the Birmingham Rep Theatre.

Catering was supplied by The Prince of Wales pub and Ninder  Singh.

+click onto ammalife.org  and see the charity’s  film on its work in Malawi.