Rotary Club of Cabarrus County - Romanian Medical Center

Romania Medical Clinic Project - The 2005 Showcase Project for District 7680

The Rotary Club of Cabarrus County, in partnership with the Rotary Club of Alexandria, is working to establish a medical center in Alexandria, Romania that will be operated by Rotarian doctors and health professionals as a service to their community. The clinic will focus on the needs of children and expecting mothers. The clinic will contain an OBGYN examining room and two pediatric consulting rooms with otoscopic capability. The center also will be utilized in educating expecting and new mothers in preventative pediatric health care, as well as a training center for other Rotarian volunteers who desire to serve in the clinic.

The need is critical. Romania faces a historical challenge in a painful transition to a functioning democracy and market economy. The population is poorly educated, with social conditions lending to increased poverty. Approximately 75% of the population have inadequate or no health insurance, thus they are deprived of basic health care.

Children (there are 5.4 million under age 18 in Romania) and women (51 percent of the Romanian population) are among the most vulnerable groups in terms of hardship experienced since transition from a communist state. The infant mortality rate in Romania is 27.24 deaths for every 1,000 live births. Infant mortality is a serious problem due to malformation, perinatality, infections, anemia, rachitis and malnutrition.

The people of Romania, however, are determined, despite enormous difficulties, to engage themselves in meaningful open dialogue with the world. Their incredible hope is evident as they attempt to create a new structure, one of stability and consensus building, for the country. This Rotarian-sponsored medical clinic is an important part of this process and will help reduce infant mortality.

As 2006 begins, over $9,000 has been raised for this project. If your club, or you individually, would like to support this worthy effort, you may send your gift to:

Rotary Club of Cabarrus County
PO Box 786
Concord, NC 28025-0786

For more information, contact Karen Shore at kshore@cabarruschamber.org.