Saddleworth Rotary steps up with support for Turkey/Syria earthquake victims

The terrifying images of February’s violent earthquakes in Turkey and Syria moved generous-spirited Saddleworth Rotary Club to support the victims.

The Rotary Club has previously supported a local medical relief charity, UK-Med, and once again looked to them to give a significant sum to their earthquake appeal.

UK-Med was established in Manchester nearly 30 years ago and continues to have strong links to the area, but it has developed a world-renowned reputation in supporting communities affected by war, conflict and natural disaster.

It was born out of the NHS in the north-west, but calls on volunteer NHS medical staff throughout the UK.

It operates a roster of nearly 1,000 NHS trained staff including surgeons, anaesthetists and specialist nurses who can deploy anywhere in the world at short notice to save lives in emergencies.

Saddleworth Rotary Club, aware of UK-Med’s reputation, knew that funds donated would help save lives.

And although UK-Med was operating in Ukraine and other parts of the world experiencing medical emergencies following humanitarian crises, the medical charity immediately responded to the Turkey/Syria earthquake.

Within hours of the disaster they sent a team of paramedics, emergency medical staff, operations and logistic staff to Turkey.

And in days of the disaster, they dispatched a field hospital from Manchester and got it up and running in Gaziantep, Turkey.

In the first three weeks of the operation UK-Med staff treated more than 6,000 patients, many homeless and suffering mental trauma.

In Turkey, the emergency phase of UK-Med’s work has ended, but the charity continues to support the health system in the region.

Today UK-Med works with a hospital in northwest Syria.

There they help build the capacity of the clinical team and procure medical equipment and supplies to enable the hospital to treat complicated injuries.

Saddleworth Rotary Club donated £1,000 to the UK-Med Earthquake Appeal to help with the charity’s life-saving work.

At a recent meeting of the Club, President Dr Ian Brett and Vice President Jon Stocker presented the £1,000 cheque to Jackie Snell from UK-Med.

Dr Brett said: ‘We are privileged to have the opportunity to support the work, once again, of a locally based but internationally respected medical emergency charity.

"We know that the money will help victims of this disaster recover from its devastating effects.’

Responding, Ms Snell said: "We would like to thank Saddleworth Rotary Club for this generous donation, which will help in our work saving lives in emergencies.”

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