Charity sends medical equipment from Fife to Ecuador to help build hospital

Local volunteers from the International Fire and Rescue Association (IFRA), a UK-based charity set up to assist firefighters and emergency services worldwide, waved farewell to the huge shipping container on Tuesday afternoon as it left the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service headquarters in Thornton.

The medical supplies, which included hospital beds, furniture and other equipment, are on their way to South America where IFRA are helping those who are building and equipping a new hospital in Ecuador.

It is the latest effort by the charity, which was set up in 2002, to help other firefighters and emergency services overseas.

Fraser Watson, who has been a volunteer with the charity for around eight years, said: “This is our 60th container leaving our headquarters and Stratheden Hospital loaded with hospital based equipment to help them set up a hospital across there.

“We could not have done this without the support and generosity of NHS Fife donating the equipment they had earmarked to dispose of and donated it to ourselves.

“This will go a long way to help them establish and equip their hospital.”

IFRA collects outdated, superseded, spare or replaced fire, emergency or medical service equipment and vehicles and sends them to other areas across the world that require assistance.

Fraser, who is from Kirkcaldy, added: “We collect donations from fire services, industries and hospitals who no longer require equipment or are replacing it with newer equipment.

“This redundant equipment, which is still useful and safe to use in other countries, is either packed into the donated vehicle and driven through Europe for delivery or sent in containers to be distributed in countries further afield.

“We then send a team of qualified members to train the Fire Services on how to utilise the donated equipment.”

Volunteers for the charity, from across the UK, have been involved in missions providing equipment and appliances, as well as training, to fire and rescue, and other emergency services, in countries including Bosnia, Kosovo, Serbia, Romania, Cuba, Paraguay, Albania, Panama, Argentina, Chile, Mexico and the Philippines.