I mpoverished Christians in many parts of the world struggle without the kind of healthcare provision that most in the developed world take for granted. 

Some Christians struggle without glasses or hearing aids. Elderly believers may be without much-needed walking sticks, zimmer frames or wheelchairs. Christian clinics or medical centres may be without equipment such as stethoscopes or blood pressure machines, vital for conducting basic health check-ups.  

To support our brothers and sisters, Barnabas Aid has launched medical.gives, a ministry that aims to transport medical equipment from Western countries to lands of great need and scarcity.

Medical equipment transported to where it is needed most

Through medical.gives we are shipping a donation of 1,176 manual wheelchairs in four 40 foot containers directly into Ukraine. This comes in response to statements from the Ukrainian government and the reports of our Christian partners in the country, who have seen an increase in war-wounded patients.

The wheelchairs will be especially valuable to any who have lost limbs in shelling, or suffered wounds and burns that have resulted in amputation. 

As well as the wheelchairs, further donations of hospital equipment – including around 200 defibrillators – from a Western government will be shipped to Ukraine in the coming months.

We have also sent around 50 million pieces of life-saving personal protective equipment (PPE), donated by the Irish government and worth around £25 million, to Christian hospitals in east and southern Africa (see Barnabas Aid September/October 2022, p.21). At the time of writing, distribution of the PPE is ongoing in Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe, and is about to commence in Kenya, while the equipment will shortly reach Christian medical workers in Uganda. 

Expanding the medical.gives ministry 

Our hope and plan is to expand medical.gives, allowing you to donate surplus medical items that can be a real blessing to your brothers and sisters around the world.

Perhaps you can donate a pair of reading glasses that are no longer needed? Do you own a walking stick, a zimmer frame or a wheelchair that could be of use to somebody else? Perhaps you even have medical equipment such as a stethoscope or a blood pressure machine that could assist a Christian doctor or nurse to carry out examinations.

At a time when our economy is struggling, and many of us are facing challenges in our personal finances, medical.gives is one way that you can still help provide for your suffering Christian family.