—RI News, 7/2012 
Rotarians in Egypt and the United States are helping doctors at a pediatric hospital in Cairo save the lives of hundreds of premature babies each year through the gift of lifesaving neonatal equipment. Using a Rotary Foundation grant, the Rotary clubs of Heliopolis, Egypt and Minneapolis, Minnesota purchased several pieces of equipment for the intensive care unit of Abou El Reesh Children’s Hospital, for use in its gastroenterological department. The hospital treats one million patients per year, suffers from overcrowding, and lacks equipment. Most of the hospital’s patients are from poor or underserved families. The mortality rate is 25 percent among all patients and five percent for gastric patients. Wanting to reduce infant deaths, the Heliopolis Rotarians and its Minneapolis partner club, applied for a Foundation grant and raised $23,000 which purchased a defibrillator, ventilator, infusion pump, syringe pump, and diagnostic devices. The Rotarians also advised hospital staff on how to use and maintain the equipment. They plan to conduct a monthly health session to promote proper sanitation and nutrition. The project falls within Rotary’s maternal and child health Area of Focus. “Our first objective for this project was to make an impact to improve child and maternal health and reduce child mortality,” says Ayoub Mahmoud Ayoub, a member of the Heliopolis club. “Our second objective was to promote Rotary’s good work.” In Egypt, the public lacks knowledge and is skeptical about Rotary. Changing that perception, he says, is important. “Our mission with this project and future undertakings is to show that Rotarians help those in need.”