New Zealand Defence Force
Te Ope Kaatua O Aotearoa

Media Release
4 November 2005

Territorial Doctor Collects Supplies for

Bamyan Provincial Hospital has received a large quantity of medical supplies, thanks largely to a New Zealand Army Territorial Force doctor and two Dunedin hospitals.

The project to collect books and medical supplies was the brainchild of Major John Wilson, an anaesthetist at Dunedin Public Hospital, who was the Medical Officer for the 4th New Zealand Contingent based in Bamyan.

Major Wilson served in Afghanistan from December 2004 - March 2005. He spent much time at Bamyan Hospital assisting and upskilling the anaesthetist and the anaesthetist technician.

While working there he enlisted the help of colleagues at Dunedin Public Hospital and neighbouring Mercy Hospital to collect surplus items for the hospital.

As well as medical supplies the New Zealanders also collected textbooks to start a medical library; something Bamyan Hospital did not have.

The books cover subjects such as paediatrics, anaesthetics, general medicine, general surgery, anatomy, obstetrics, gynaecology, microbiology and biochemistry.

Getting the equipment to Afghanistan was a major logistical task, with NZAID assisting with funding the freight.

Bamyan’s Regional Health Programme Sisawo Konteh thanked the New Zealanders and described the significant difference the supplies and books will make for the central Afghanistan province.

“It will make a very big difference in improving our capacity, it will improve the quality of services and will enable continuation training for the medical staff in Bamyan,” he said.

ENDS

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