Morningside Pharmaceuticals has made a large donation of antibiotics to help treat 600 patients at an African hospital.
The packs of the antibiotic Clarithromycin, which is used to treat respiratory illnesses, were donated to the Ekwendeni CCAP Mission Hospital in Malawi.
The donation was particularly important to the local community as pneumonia is the second most common illness and cause of death at the hospital, which does not have regular access to high quality medicines.
The medicines were delivered through charity Inter Care – Medical Aid for Africa, based in Syston, which specialises in sending high quality medical Aid to rural health units in sub-Saharan Africa including Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Ghana and Sierra Leone.
Jean Widdowson, Inter Care Trustee and Chair of their Medical Panel, said: “We are so grateful for this donation from Morningside Pharmaceuticals, which has made a huge difference to patients’ lives at the hospital. Thank you for your support and for providing these essential medicines for Africa.”
For the hospital’s staff, the antibiotic has been particularly well received because it enables them to treat a wider range of illnesses. Dr Donatien Twizelimana, Chief Medical Officer at the hospital, said: “This antibiotic offers a broad spectrum of effects and provides us with another strong oral antibiotic, which will be a huge help when treating our patients.”
Dr Nik Kotecha OBE, Chief Executive of Morningside Pharmaceuticals, said: “We’re delighted to be working in partnership with Inter Care to provide high quality generic medicines to communities throughout Africa.
“Morningside was founded on the vision of making quality healthcare an affordable and accessible reality throughout the world, so it’s a real privilege to be able to make this donation to communities in Africa, which urgently need quality medical supplies.”
