Earlier this spring, the Rotary Club of Andover in collaboration with the Rotary Club of Cherkasy, the Rotary Club of Kyiv-City, Ukraine, and the Cambridge-Isanti Rotary club coordinated and donated an Olympus endoscopic surgical system at a cost of $16,900 to Yemilchnye Hospital in Ukraine.Endoscopy, often referred to as gastroscopy, is a medical procedure that allows a doctor to observe the inside of the body and perform less invasive surgery without major incisions.
The system was purchased and shipped by Andover Rotary with a grant from the Andover Rotary Charitable Trust, a Rotary District Matching Grant, and donations from club members.
Since the delivery of the system, 128 patients have been examined and 62 were diagnosed with conditions ranging from ulcers to gastrointestinal bleeding. Without surgical intervention, gastrointestinal bleeding can lead to death. The availability of this system will not only help detect many diseases in the early stages leading to faster recovery but will also help save lives.