Kenyans clean Wau hospital on World Environment Day

20 Jul 2009

Kenyans clean Wau hospital on World Environment Day

UNMIS peacekeepers cleaned the premises of Wau Teaching Hospital and the Sector II Chinese medical team trained hospital staff in the use of newly donated X-ray machines to commemorate World Environment Day on 5 June.

UNMIS peacekeepers cleaned the premises of Wau Teaching Hospital and the Sector II Chinese medical team trained hospital staff in the use of newly donated X-ray machines to commemorate World Environment Day on 5 June.

Some 75 peacekeepers from the Kenyan army contingent collected a large amount of garbage at the hospital site and incinerated the rubbish to improve the facility's hygiene.

"This is a significant contribution," said the hospital's Medical Director Dr. Majok Malek in thanking the peacekeepers. "We have a shortage of manpower in the hospital to clean up the entire premises as the peacekeepers did today within one day."

Dr. Malek also emphasized the importance of individual hygiene and of maintaining a clean, healthy environment. "We can prevent diseases by cleaning ourselves, where we live and work," he added.

Civil-Military Cooperation Officer Major Bakari Amani echoed those remarks. "UN peacekeepers chose to clean up Wau hospital ... to show people that keeping a hygienic environment is an important part of our daily lives," he said.

As part of the day's events, specialists from the UNMIS Chinese medical team installed three X-ray machines that were donated to Wau Teaching Hospital by the Chinese government.

The Chinese team members showed hospital staff how to operate the machines. The hospital's X-ray room ceased to be a functioning department 17 years ago on account of a lack of such equipment, said staff members.