- York Region ambulances bound for Guyana
- David Fleischer
- May 22, 2012 - 1:33 PM
Two York Region ambulances set to hit the auction block will instead continue to make a difference, this time in the South America.
“Little things make big differences,” said Harry Harakh, founder of the Guyana Burn and Health Care Foundation.
He came to address regional council last week, thanking politicians for donating the ambulances to the foundation, so they can be used by a hospital in Guyana’s capital, Georgetown. The hospital’s ambulances have been minivans in which stretchers need to be tied to the floor with rope.
Mr. Harakh explained how sick or pregnant patients now travel to the hospital by cab or whatever other method they can and how burn care, in particular, was once practically non-existent in the country.
He has partnered with doctors and nurses at Toronto's Sunnybrook hospital to improve equipment and facilities there. The hospital will also help check out and equip the new ambulances before they head south.
The region typically puts ambulances that hit six years or 250,000 kilometres up for auction, where they can bring in as much as $5,000. But 25 per cent of all surplus ambulances are made available to qualified charities and three were potentially available this year.
The recipients are responsible for transportation, maintenance and all other costs once they receive the vehicles.
Previous donations have gone to charities in Uganda and Ecuador, as well as local groups, such as Scouts Canada.
Mr. Harakh invited councillors to visit when the ambulance arrives and handed them a coffee table book about the country.
Following Mr. Harakh’s address to council, regional chairperson Bill Fisch responded in kind.
“Thanks, on behalf of York Region for your work. It’s not only necessary, it’s a heck of a good deed,” he said.