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.