The Emergency Centre in Belgium over the weekend organised a fundraising event to support its projects in Sierra Leone and future projects in Gaza. The event commemorated the Centre’s 30th Anniversary of providing healthcare services to the needy globally.
Diederik Bangaert, President of Emergency Belgium reflected on the organisation’s collective effort to provide assistance to the needy, acknowledging that their contribution, no matter how small, is still meaningful. He emphasised the importance of collective action, urging the audience, particularly those in Brussels, to take responsibility and do their part, stressing the importance of solidarity and taking action, no matter how small, to address global humanitarian challenges.
Presenting the background of the Emergency Centre in Sierra Leone, Bangaert stated the Centre was opened in2001, immediately after the decade-long war ended. He added that the Emergency Centre opened two Ebola Treatment Centres, a First Aid Post, and later launched two research projects to study the viral disease when the Ebola epidemic hit Sierra Leone in 2014
“Since its inception, the Center has treated over 860,000 patients, of which 450,000 patients were treated in the Goderich Surgical Centre, where 71,000 patients had surgical interventions. Today, it has become a reference hospital for surgery and traumatology for the entire country. Many patients are transferred to Goderich from hospitals in other provinces in Sierra Leone and neighbouring countries,” he stated.
Since then, he said, the Emergency has opened different facilities, including the Goderich Pediatric Centre, the Soda Program specifically for the treatment of esophageal burns caused by accidental ingestion of caustic soda – mainly by kids, and the cardiological screening programme.
In his statement, Sierra Leone’s Ambassador to Belgium, His Excellency Samuel Tamba Musa, acknowledged the critical medical assistance the Centre has provided in Sierra Leone over the past decade, highlighting the organisation’s dedication to human rights, health care, and a culture of peace. He revealed that the Centre initially started helping war victims, but over time, its services expanded to cover children’s needs and free medical care.
Ambassador Musa re-echoed the Centre’s intervention in various communities, treating over 860,000 people across the world with more than half of those receiving surgical care, which is a significant achievement.
“The organization also plays an essential role in addressing one of the leading causes of death in the country, which is accidents involving motorbikes. These efforts not only save lives but also impact families and communities, especially when victims are primary breadwinners,” Ambassador Musa stressed.
He expressed appreciation for the Emergency Centre’s contributions and reaffirmed the Mission and Sierra Leone’s support for the organization’s work.
The ceremony climaxed with a presentation on the work of Emergency Global, which was done by Giulia Bordin, the Volunteers’ Coordinator.
Diplomatic and local staff of the Embassy together with lot of donors attend the event and made pledges and donations to the work of Emergency.
