From Boone to Bombay: Hospital Upgrade in N.C. Mountains Will Help Save Lives—in India

Samaritan’s Purse Joins Watauga Medical Center to Share Desperately Needed Cancer Treatment with Poverty-Stricken Patients 8,000 Miles Away "The equipment we're sending to India is in excellent condition and offers new hope to cancer patients who didn’t have access to this life-saving treatment." -Franklin Graham, President and CEO of Samaritan’s Purse

BOONE, N.C., Jan. 22, 2008—New state-of-the-art radiation treatment technology will soon be installed at the Seby B. Jones Regional Cancer Center at Watauga Medical Center, which will help save the lives of cancer patients not only in the High Country of North Carolina but also in India.
 
That's because the existing linear accelerator at Watauga Medical Center is being donated to Lok Hospital in India, which serves the needy in one of the world's largest cities, Mumbai (also known as Bombay).
 
Boone-based international Christian relief organization Samaritan's Purse will ship and install the massive 21-ton equipment through its medical arm, World Medical Mission. This will be one of the largest and most complex installations ever handled by Samaritan's Purse, which ships millions of dollars worth of donated medical supplies and equipment to hospitals around the world each year.
 
"India was the first country my brother Lowell and I served with World Medical Mission, and it's always held a special place in our hearts," said Dr. Richard Furman, co-founder of World Medical Mission. "Through this donation, we can help save many lives and demonstrate God's love."
 
Even used, comparable machinery in India would cost more than $1 million. As a result, only a few for-profit hospitals are able to offer radiation treatment to cancer patients and only the wealthy can afford it. For most of the 22 million people in greater Mumbai, Lok Hospital will be the only place where they can get radiation treatment.
 
The new equipment planned for Watauga Medical Center is being funded by private donors so that patients and taxpayers will not bear the costs. "This is an opportunity for us to not only improve health care in here in the High Country of North Carolina but also help save lives half a world away," said Jeff Lea, senior vice president of Watauga Medical Center. 

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