Mon, July 4, 2014: Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) donated an ambulance previously being used by MSF to the Department of Health & Family Welfare (DoH&FW) in Kohima for Mon District Hospital.
As MSF officially departs its project site in Mon in July 2014, the organisation decided to donate its ambulance to keep the process of referrals live even after it leaves. MSF used the ambulance for the past three years to refer patients in need of immediate attention or specialised care from Nagaland and Assam to Mon District Hospital.
The donation also included two additional tyres, standard maintenance tools such as hydraulic jack and spans and spare parts to guarantee at least three services to the vehicle. 400 litres of fuel was also donated to support referrals of the most vulnerable patients who are not capable of paying for the fuel.
“With Mon being so far away from the nearest tertiary hospital in Dibrugarh, the importance of good and affordable ambulance services is more essential than most places in India. As MSF we are very pleased to be able to donate this ambulance for supporting this life-saving service.”, said Beatrice Barbot, MSF Project Coordinator in Mon.
MSF foresees a pivotal role that the community will have to play in ensuring that the ambulance is always available at the hospital along with a driver and clearly defined prices against specific distances, so that referrals to the hospital continue without interruption.
MSF has played an important role in revitalising the hospital and equipping it with necessary infrastructure and medical facilities contributing to it being fully operational today. It is now for the local authorities and the community to maintain this key provider of healthcare in the district.
About MSF India
Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is an independent international medical humanitarian organisation that delivers emergency aid to people affected by armed conflict, epidemics, healthcare exclusion and natural disasters in more than 65 countries . MSF offers healthcare to people based only on need and irrespective of race, religion, gender or political affiliation.
MSF received the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development in 1996 and the Nobel Peace Prize in 1999
