The staff at St Francis Hospital Mutolere, located in Kisoro, Uganda were all cheers upon receiving a new ambulance donated by Sustain for Life.

Since January 2011 Sustain for Life has supported a health outreach service to 24 Batwa communities in the Kisoro district operated by Mutolere Hospital to provide healthcare, preventative medicine and education to some of the world’s most vulnerable communities. The objectives of the Batwa Outreach Programme include reduction of mortality, improved environmental sanitation and hygiene practices, better housing conditions, increased usage of health services, and increased participation in school attendance.

Until now, the hospital team were forced to travel to the Batwa settlements by means of an outdated, broken-down ambulance. Due to the heavy workload and poor conditions of the roads caused by landslides and flooding, the ambulance was often needing service or being repaired, comprising the care that could be delivered to these needy communities. Often the old vehicle was unable to reach some of the communities and the team of doctors and nurses had to walk long distances over rough terrain.

Funding for the new Toyota Land Cruiser ambulance was initially received through a private donation to the Sustain for Life Switzerland Foundation. The ambulance will be used by the hospital to save and improve countless lives – especially those of the Batwa pygmies, one of the world’s most marginalised and vulnerable communities.