Cans for Kids donates essential respiratory equipment for children’s hospital (Updated)

Cans for Kids charity has donated essential respiratory medical equipment for newborns to the Makarios children’s hospital, the health ministry said on Monday.

After raising funds through the recycling of aluminium cans, the local charity purchased a Wilaflow Elite Neonatal and breathing gas humidifier MR 850 worth almost €15,000 for the only children’s public hospital on the island.

This essential piece of medical equipment will contribute greatly to the respiratory support efforts of newborns, Health Minister Michalis Hadjipnatela said during the delivery of the equipment to the Nicosia-based hospital on Monday morning.

“Cans for Kids, with its voluntary and charitable character, is a very important and valuable sponsor of the young patients of Makarios hospital,” the minister said, explaining that the charity has previously donated other specialised medical devices and machines.

Last year, Cans for Kids donated four diaphanoscopes worth over €8,000 to be used at the Makarios children’s hospital, as well as the paediatric wards at Limassol and Larnaca hospital.

“I have nothing but gratitude for the organisation,” Hadjipantela noted.

For her part, the charity’s president, Rosie Charalambous, said this latest donation took the total value of equipment given to local hospitals since Cans For Kids was founded in 1990 to over €323,000.

She added that, with funding from the Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway grants Active Citizens Fund, more can banks were being placed in schools and communities not well served by government recycling schemes, and awareness programmes were ongoing to get more people to recycle. This is part of the project Working for Environmental Community Action Now, or WE CAN.

“The more cans we get, the more equipment we will be able to give to our paediatric wards.”

Founded in 1990, the charity is the only organisation which collects metal recyclables from urban centres as well as from rural areas. It also actively encourages the participation of schools and young people in sustainable living, as well as volunteerism.

The location of all can banks was available on their website, www.cansforkids.org.