Ambulance donated by charity helps provide care in Africa

The ambulance travels to remote outreach clinics in rural Malawi

An ambulance bought by a Leicestershire charity is enabling thousands of people a month to access healthcare in remote areas of Africa.

Rak's Trust was set up in memory of RAF Flt Lt Rakesh Chauhan, from Cropston, who was killed in a helicopter crash in Afghanistan in 2014.

The organisation has donated an ex-RAF vehicle to be used to transport medical staff to treat people living in rural areas of Malawi in Africa.

Flt Lt Chauhan's father, Kishor Chauhan, visited Malawi to see first-hand how staff are using the ambulance to provide medical care at 10 remote outreach clinics.

The ambulance enables staff to treat hundreds of people a day in Malawi

The charity decided to buy an ex-RAF vehicle so it could be converted into an ambulance with money gathered through fundraising events and challenges.

Mr Chauhan wanted to see the work of the ambulance in Malawi in person.

"It was quite overwhelming to see so many people gathered there and when we got out of the ambulance, we got a really good welcome," he said.

Emma Katengeza, health projects manager for the charity African Vision, which manages the day-to-day running of the ambulance, said: "We see close to maybe 6,000 people per month because we have 10 mobile outreach clinics.

"During the rainy season when we have lots of malaria cases, we reach maybe 10,000 people."

The ambulance is a converted RAF vehicle

While in Malawi, Mr Chauhan also spent the day at a monthly remote outreach clinic.

He said: "To me the most touching thing was two young children, a boy and a girl, they were not well.

"I could see that they were not well and they were diagnosed with malaria and given the treatment.

"Had it not been for the ambulance and the physicians out there, the situation could have been fatal".

Flt Lt Chauhan was 29 when he was killed alongside four others in a helicopter crash during his third tour of Afghanistan in 2014.

So far Rak's Trust has raised about £75,000.

Trustees have now pledged to fund a school block next in Nepal, supporting the work of the Gurkha Welfare Trust. Building work is due to start early next year.

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