Final Progress Update & Project Completion

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1. A summary so far…

2. How has the Mobile Clinic done?

3. The figures

4. PERSONAL COMMENTS from JIJI 🙂

 

1. A Summary so far…

• In 2010-11, Adventure4Aid raised ~AUD$90,000 through our various fundraising activities, the main one was climbing 6,000 metres up Yuzhu Peak in the mountainous region of Qinghai, China.

• With these funds, we could afford to purchase TWO Mobile Clinics, but purchased one first, as this kind of vehicle and project had not been attempted in this very high altitude before (~4,000m).

• From 2011, our vehicle provided free medical support for the nomads living around the grasslands of the 2010 earthquake epi-centre in Yushu County, Qinghai.

• Late 2011-2012, the vehicle started to experience mechanical problems and was not working optimally in the more extreme low oxygen conditions. However it still transported doctors, nurses and medicines up to  safe altitudes where nomads could still access LOVEQTRA’s services.

• After a year of lengthy negotiations with the manufacturers, in 2013, LOVEQTRA obtained a refund of the bare vehicle price.

• LOVEQTRA have done extensive national market research and testing on potential replacement vehicles with the specifications we require. The type of vehicles appropriate for our needs are only manufactured in other provinces, adding to the complex logistics.

• A replacement vehicle was purchased, however at a more expensive price, in addition we had to fit the new vehicle with necessary medical equipment. Hence we had one good vehicle and the balance of the funds were put to medicinal supply for the Clinic. The new vehicle began service in July 2014.

• In LOVEQTRA’s 2014 medical report, the funds needed to equip the Mobile Clinic with the necessary medicines is approx. CNY48,000; which was approx. (at the time of sending), equivalent to AUD$9,000. An extra AUD$5,000 was sent in 2014, totalling AUD$16,000, which should cover the medicines to supply the Mobile Clinic for just under 2 years.

 

2. How has the Mobile Clinic done?

• Since the beginning of the Project in 2011, the combined Mobile Clinics have serviced approx. 10,000 patients with medical consultation, advice and/or referral.

• Common issues were hypertension, arthritis, Hep B, gynaecological diseases, tuberculosis, gallstones, peptic ulcer.

 The combined Clinics have facilitated:

• foreign as well as local volunteer doctors and nurses to serve the nomads’ needs.

• teams of local, domestic, and foreign, short to medium-term volunteers to offer their services.

  

  Our Mobile Clinic in use on the Grasslands

• training of 5 long-term health workers (2 doctors, 3 nurses) specifically servicing the quake disaster areas.

• the referral and transportation of patients of difficult or severe cases to clinics in Yushu, or partner-hospitals in Xining (the capital of Qinghai) (eg. Red Cross Hospital); or even Beijing.

• partnership with Save the Children Foundation for cleft lip & palate cases, scoliosis, congenital heart disease screening.

• education of nomad’s on good medical and health practices/habits.

Our Mobile Clinic in use on the Grasslands

 

3. The Figures 

These are the approximate figures in AUD (allowing for exchange rate fluctuations):

90,000 Amount raised

41,000 Amount sent for first Mobile Clinic

32,000 Amount refunded to LOVEQTRA, from first Mobile Clinic

40,000 Amount sent for Replacement Mobile Clinic (new vehicle + purpose-built infitting: 72,000)

   9,000 Balance sent for one year’s supply of medicines

   5,000 Miscellaneous extra raised sent for supply of medicines

———

         $0

4. Personal Comments 🙂

This project is now complete to Adventure4Aid’s satisfaction. Although it has been a long process, I felt it extremely necessary and a privilege to see it through to its intended end. You have entrusted me with these funds and I am happy that it has indeed been put to its purpose.

As some of you know, during this project, I have gone through two life-stage changes, and embarking on this second, new and exciting one next month!

So, for the next little while, I will only be able to dream of the next cool adventure to raise funds for another worthwhile project.

Till then…….stay tuned!!! 😉

If you are interested to join with me in planning cool adventures or worthwhile projects, please write to me via the Contact tab at the top of this website. 

If you no longer wish to receive notifications of new posts, please also contact me using the Contact tab.

 Jiji

 

9Mar11- Invitation to join Qinghai Trip in Oct 2011

Hi everyone,

Thankyou for supporting Adventure4Aid to be able to raise enough funds for TWO Mobile Clinics, when the target was just one. The first one is planned to be up and running by as early as April!

I will be going to Qinghai to see the Mobile Clinic in action for myself in (likely to be mid) October this year, and invite any of our supporters, sponsors, their family and friends to join our trip (up to 2 weeks).  We already have a family interested in coming.

To get an idea of what environment you’ll be visiting, please browse the photos on this website (various pages & the actual Climb blogposts), or Google Qinghai. The landscape on the Tibetan Plateau is amazing!

We’ll be staying in Xining (capital), and towns on the way to Yushu Prefecture, the site of last year’s earthquake. You’ll come away from the trip more aware of the needs and poverty of nomads and farmers in Qinghai. You’ll be immersed in Tibetan culture and way of life, but your eyes will also be opened to the many other cultures that exist in Qinghai.

October will be autumn and could be anywhere from T-shirt to down-jacket weather. We might be lucky and get snow! We’ll be staying at altitudes of 2,200-4,000m, so the first week you will be acclimatising and enjoying the sites in and around Xining (2,200m).

For those who might be interested, or just have questions, please shoot me an email (info@adventure4aid.com) as soon as you can, so that I can start planning as well. When I have a better idea on price, I’ll write again.

Cheers,

Jiji

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3Feb11- Mobile Clinic Update #1 (with photos)

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Hi everyone,

1. In the period between Christmas 2010 and New Year, LOVEQTRA Qinghai , began negotiations with the JAC manufacturer in Anhui Province. JAC is the brand of vehicle for our Mobile Clinics.

2. JAC will sell its latest model at off-market cost (exhibited at Guangzhou Car Fair 2010, Guangdong Province). JAC asked LOVEQTRA to bring one primary school girl from Yushu, Qinghai Province (the site of the April’ 10 earthquake), to the Car Fair to attend the press release and handover ceremony, as it would like to sponsor her all the way to university. The vehicle will be available to LOVEQTRA early Feb (after Chinese New Year).

3. JAC will help infit the Mobile Clinic, under advice from doctors working with LOVEQTRA. Some specialised equipment (eg. blood & urine analysis machine) will be fitted by LOVEQTRA’s contractors.

4. The people at JAC are very serious about this project, and have made a special trip to Qinghai Province to look for a designated repair shop for the vehicles they sold to LOVEQTRA (they didn’t plan to release to NW China until 2013 originally.)

5.  The Rotary Club of North Sydney (which is kindly collecting money & issuing tax-deductible receipts  for Adventure4Aid), sent funds to LOVEQTRA Qinghai, for the first Mobile Clinic in early January. 

6. 

   Guangzhou Car Fair 2010 JAC representatives with Philip Poh (Dir. of LOVEQTRA) & Yushu primary girl, both in traditional Tibetan dress

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Friday 1st October 2010 – Start of the Climb

Frank & Jiji have finished our volunteer work in Xining, the capital of Qinghai. The 2 weeks for us have taken its toll on our bodies so we gotta take it easy.

Sheena, Julia & Mic have now arrived for 2 days now.

The team has now assembled from Australia and is getting ready to go to the first stage of the climb.  We will be leaving our Hotel in Xining around 12:00pm and heading up to spend a day or two at Qinghai Lake.

This will be the first steps as we ascend to Base Camp.

Qinghai Lake ranges between 2000 and 3000 mtrs above sea level and will be a place to do some short walks and spend time getting used to the extra height.

On Thursday the 30th we did a short preparation hike up one of the local lookouts Beishan (North Mountain) – it was good to clear the cob webs.  We were taken up by Carl our Nowegian Guide/Aide/part time porter who we have affectionately nick named the “Crazy Norwegian”. 

Sheena and Julia followed up on Friday (today) morning with Carl on another short walk which they hopefully will provide some details.

Mic who arrived Thursday eve into Xining decided to rest a little more.  Jiji and I spent Friday morning sorting out our kit and catching up after late nights and long days with the other volunteer and charity work we had come to do in Qinghai.

After the lake we will travelling to Golmud to meet  with the rest of the team and have our kit double checked by a guide group and the team leaders.  Here we will meet up with Philip and one other helper to get us up to the top.  We plan to be at Base camp on the 5th Oct (5,050m).  All going well we should be able to post successful pictures and climb details around the 10th Oct.

If we can get internet access or sms out you may also see brief updates by us or one of our home team with the progress

Wish us luck!!!

Frank (& Jiji)