Physionet are a Rotary sponsored charity who collect, repair, store and distribute surplus and unwanted NHS Medical and Disability equipment to hospitals and other organisations across the world (including Ukraine) whose need is identified. The equipment is packed into large shipping containers at their base on a farm in North Yorkshire. Although the costs of shipping are usually funded by the receiver (often with Rotary support) Physionet covers all the costs of collections, repair and storage in the UK. York Rotary has supported Physionet both financially and through helping with the collections of equipment from all over the UK and also through helping with loading the containers at the farm.
During the pandemic a Regional NHS Vaccination Hub was established in York which has just been decommissioned. There is a great deal of medical equipment to be disposed of which has become available to Physionet who have agreed to transport it to Ukraine using their established contacts. The three Rotary Clubs in York, with the help of Erlangen Rotary club, have agreed to donate towards the cost of transportation to Ukraine and to help with the collection of the equipment and the loading of the container. The equipment includes syringes, swabs, disposable kidney dishes, wipes, aprons, face masks, treatment tables, screens, folding tables, trolleys and chairs.
Last week the first loading of equipment into the Physionet van took place, marking the start of the journey to Ukraine. York Rotarians Mary Lumley and Sheila Weatherburn are shown in the photographs helping two of the Physionet volunteer collectors handling the first van-load of equipment at the NHS site in York. This load (and at least three more!) will be collated and prepared for transportation back at the Physionet base and then loaded into a container which will be heading to Ukraine sometime in the next few weeks.
We will update this report once the equipment reaches the Ukraine.
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