Appeal: Emergency ambulances for the people of Somaliland

Imagine you are a young woman living in the rural outskirts of Hargeisa. You find yourself in labour – your baby is coming now! and you urgently and desperately need medical help. The only form of transportation is by foot, the nearest medical clinic is km’s away, you know you will never make it there in time.

To some women reading this is a nightmare scenario, to other women, specifically the women of Somaliland regions, this is a lived experience and a reality they have come to painfully endure. Complications during pregnancy and childbirth are the major cause of death and disability in reproductive-aged women living in Somaliland. (Mouhoumed H. M, Mehmet N, 2021) It’s a health crisis that shouldn’t be happening and needs our urgent attention, regardless of whether you are a woman, an expecting mother or not.

If we look at road traffic collision. In the year 2018 – 4654 RTC related incidents, 201 deaths and 3322 injured patients was recorded (Nasir M Ali, 2021) Road traffic accidents is statistically a major cause of fatalities in Somaliland. It’s mostly young men who are impacted by these horrific incidents on the hazardous roads of Somaliland, in their pursuit to earn a livelihood. Leaving behind devastated families who used to depend on them for sustenance.

Now visualise being involved in a road traffic collision, and it’s the Somaliland Fire and Rescue Service that arrive on the scene to help, they are also attending to your medical injuries and transporting you to the nearest hospital on their vehicles, which are not designed for medical transportation.

Somaliland Fire Service and Rescue is underfunded, their firefighters work with limited equipment’s and protective gear, they work under extremely dangerous and hazardous conditions without the necessary protection they need. They are currently carrying out the public service, of what would have been two different emergency services. It Is truly a remarkable effort, one which all Somalilanders are appreciative of.

But you can make a difference, by helping us ensure we provide emergency ambulances available to the general public of Somaliland. You can be part of a new reality, where help could arrive in a paramedic crew in the ambulance to come to the aid of any patient that needs medical help.

Somaliland Fire Service and Rescue in collaboration with Ayan Mohamoud, The Former Ambassador for Somaliland to the UK, and me, who currently work as volunteer project manager for Better Health Somaliland and as emergency call coordinator with London Ambulance Service. Together, we have initiated an appeal to fundraise for ambulances with the necessary medical equipment to serve the population of Somaliland free of charge.

With a feasible amount of £50,000 UK Pound. We hope to be able to financialise three ambulances including logistics and transportation.  Any remaining funds will be allocated to support Somaliland Fire and Rescue service.

This appeal wants to address social determinants to health such as barriers to access to medical emergency medical services. By facilitating a pathway for ordinary Somalilanders to be part of the process to create, and lay the foundation for a future, where our children have access to medical emergency services, such as the possibility to call for an ambulance when they need emergency medical help.

Please click on the link here:https://www.gofundme.com/f/emergency-ambulances-for-the-people-of-soutm_source=customer&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_campaign=p_cf+share-flow-1

to find the go-fund-me page, where you can make a direct contribution and make tangible positive change in people’s lives by enabling access to medical emergency services, which they desperately need. There are many other ways you can also contribute with your support, by sharing the link to the fundraising page with your family, friends and colleagues.

There are no easy or short-term solutions to providing emergency medical service and/or establishing comprehensive service that is free of charge for the people its created to serve, but this necessary campaign is a starting point in that direction.

We hope the generated interest and momentum created from this initial campaign will also translate more funding pledges and investment into Somaliland Fire Department from stakeholders and interested parties in the development of Somaliland. Whether its individual donations or business/cooperation investment.

Thank you for your contributions.

Project Information: https://fire.govsomaliland.org/article/ayan-mohamoud-and-sagal-m-ashour-behalf-somaliland-fire-resc?category=media

Go-Fund-Me: https://www.gofundme.com/f/emergency-ambulances-for-the-people-of-so?utm_source=customer&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_campaign=p_cf+share-flow-1

Media contact: Info.fire@sldgov.org

Hashtag: #FundraisingForAmbulance

Partners of the Project:

Somaliland Fire Service and Rescue

www.fire.govsomaliland.org  – @SLfireservice

Ayan Mohamoud – @Gobannimo

Sagal M Ashour – @SagalAshour

Better Health Somaliland -@SL_Better

References;

• Mouhoumed HM, Mehmet N. Utilization pattern of antenatal care and determining factors among reproductive-age women in Borama, Somaliland. J Prev Med Hyg. 2021;62(2): E439-E446. Published 2021 Jul 30. doi:10.15167/2421-4248/jpmh2021.62.2.1882

• Nasir M Ali, 2021. https://somalilandchronicle.com/2021/08/07/life-safety-first-winning-the-struggle-against-road-traffic-accidents-in-somaliland/