The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, committed to serving and blessing the body of Christ, frequently donates medical equipment to improve the health of those in need around the world.
In just the last few months, the Church has donated pieces of equipment to hospitals and health centers in Serbia, Ghana and Bolivia to improve surgeon visibility, decrease infant mortality rates and update outdated equipment. In Serbia, one of a hospital’s centers was named after Church President Brigham Young.
Niš, Serbia
Cardiac surgeons at the University Hospital in Niš, Serbia, are now able to work with state-of-the-art equipment as they perform their various operations thanks to donations from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, reported the Church’s Europe Newsroom.
The Church donated a videoendoscopic machine to the hospital, which allows surgeons to see a clear picture of the area they are operating on. The United States military also donated the heart/lung machine to the hospital.
“This is also your clinic now. You are always welcome, as well as your friends,” said Dr. Dragan Milić, director of the Clinic for Cardiovascular and Transplant Surgery, turning to Davide R. Lotito, the Church’s Welfare and Self-Reliance Services regional manager.
During the dedication ceremony on Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024, Milić expressed appreciation for the generosity of the United States military and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for helping modernize the clinic. The dedication took place on Thanksgiving Day, a traditional American holiday, which Milić noted was “the appropriate day to say thank you to America, where there is a legacy of giving.”
The Videoendoscopic Center now bears the name of the Church’s second latter-day Prophet, Brigham Young. It’s called The Brigham Young Videoendoscopic Center.
Milić said, “President Young was strong and vital for the survival of the Church when the pioneers first entered the Salt Lake Valley.”
Similarly, Milić and his cardiac surgical team are pioneers in modern cardiovascular and transplant medical care.
“Society is like the human body,” said Milić. “When the human body starts to develop malignant cells, the organism dies. The same is true with society and families. It is important that we help people. God provides us with many ways to help those in need.”
Volta, Ghana
The Dabala Community Health Centre, in the Volta Region of Ghana, provides services to over 12,000 residents and boarding school students.
The health center has struggled to serve patients with malaria, bronchitis, diabetes and other common ailments due to its outdated equipment. Expecting mothers or mothers with newborns frequently had to travel to neighboring communities to receive the treatments they needed.
A local couple, Mr. and Mrs. Tsikpor, approached Bismark Hottorwodze, a clinic staff member and member of the Church, asking for his help in putting together a proposal for the Church’s assistance. In response, the Church donated maternity delivery beds, an ultrasound scanner, a blood chemistry analysis machine, a vaccine refrigerator, autoclaves, computers, drip stands and more, reported the Church’s Africa Newsroom.
The updated equipment will improve the health care offered to the 450 patients the hospital’s providers serve each month.
At a donation ceremony conducted Jan. 10, members of the clinic accepted the donation and celebrated the Church’s service.
“We were just hopeful and operating on faith that one day God would smile beautifully on us, and I think this is the day,” said Kobena Woyome, a member of Ghana’s Parliament who addressed attendees as part of the ceremony. “The Church has been so friendly to this municipality. You were really there for us when we had the unfortunate Akosombo spillage that took place. With this also happening now, it appears our relationship is forever, and so we thank you very, very much.”
At the end of the ceremony, attendees were invited to tour the clinic to see the new equipment in the health center.
“Very soon I may think of joining the Church in Tema [a nearby community] because of your work. I think you are just living the days of the New Testament, caring for one another,” Woyome concluded.
La Paz, Bolivia
With the aim to decrease infant mortalities, the Church made a significant donation to the Women’s Hospital in La Paz, Bolivia, Dec. 6, 2024, reported ChurchofJesusChrist.org.
Previously, limited and outdated medical equipment hindered the progress of reducing newborn mortality rates in the hospital. With the inclusion of neonatal incubators, neonatal multiparameter monitors, volumetric infusion pumps, neonatal phototherapy units, syringe infusion pumps, a neonatal mechanical ventilator, neonatal CPAP devices, resuscitators and pulse oximeters donated by the Church, many of these threats have been decreased or even eliminated.
Dr. Marisol Yucra, head of neonatology and neonatal intensive care services at the Women’s Hospital, mentioned that the hospital continually exceeds its capacity for hospitalizations, making it necessary to equip an unused space. Now, it will no longer struggle with space or equipment.
Carlos Vásquez, a local Church leader, represented the Church during the donation and thanked God for allowing the Church to make this donation possible to combat struggles the hospital faces.
He emphasized that this donation was possible because of members' contributions by observing the law of fasting and tithing.
