Introducing Student MedAID, a student society committed to sustainability.
Medical students, Alba Saenz de Villaverde and Shazlin Shek Daud tell us about their society’s aim to reduce the medicine’s waste footprint and their work to deliver medical equipment where it is most needed worldwide.
In recent months, our world has turned upside down. For many, the COVID-19 pandemic has unveiled many previously unthought facets of our modern society. Primarily, the impact of globalisation, lack of cooperation and communication and perhaps the true cost of our lifestyle on our health and that of the environment. More hopefully, the sincere importance of small actions and the potential in every single one of us to change and save lives.
Student MedAID is a student-led society and charity which hopes to encourage further thinking and research into potential opportunities to reduce the medical waste footprint, by facilitating the progress of the healthcare sector towards economic, social and environmental sustainability.
What we do
We collect unwanted and out of date medical equipment from hospitals in Edinburgh and throughout the UK, and then coordinate its redistribution to under-resourced medical institutions abroad through medical students on electives, humanitarian health workers and other NGOs. Our aim is not only to increase the accessibility of healthcare in places where it is most needed but increase the sustainability of the NHS as well.
Over the past year, we have coordinated with a range of charities such as the Gambia Volunteers Trust, AlBir-SCIO (Chad), Rock Project Uganda and many others to deliver equipment throughout the world. We have managed to clear our storeroom several times – volumes in an amount not seen before!
We have helped open a new sister organisation in Leeds and are looking forward to expanding to Oxford and Dundee next semester. Our most ambitious goal is to change local and national NHS waste policy – and we have begun to do this as well. Two of our members, Alba and Shazlin, gave a talk to St John’s Anaesthesia Department, and further talks with members of the hospital board were planned before the COVID disruption.
People are slowly getting to know more and more about what we do, and there is so much willingness from hospital staff and volunteers to help us. With our recently elected committee, we can’t wait to get started to make even more change next year!
What inspires us?
As expressed by our current President, Alba “We all wanted to become doctors in order to do something meaningful with our lives and make a difference. But it is not just people who are suffering, but the planet itself. And that is something we need, and are, striving to address and improve. At Student MedAID, we believe we can truly make a difference, through simple acts that in coordination can lead to change. It is heart-warming to be told and see the direct impact we have in people’s lives, especially as we hear from medical students on electives or the NGOs we donate to. We are inspired by the belief that anyone, at any moment of their lives, can make a difference not only to their community but to the whole planet. We cannot wait for the future to arrive; we need to act now”.
Our favourite society-meet up place
Black Medicine; fuelled with either coffee or a hot chocolate, we are ready to make a change in the world!
If our society were a drink, what would it be?
Fairtrade hot chocolate; good for the planet and good for the soul!
Fancy getting involved?
We are always looking for passionate members to join our committee, our volunteer network, or donate unwanted medical equipment. Just taking a few moments of your day can make a huge difference in our community.
Find us online:
Or email us at medaid.charity@gmail.com
The simplest thing you can do is let others know about us. So please like, subscribe and comment!
We’d like to thank the University of Edinburgh for kindly giving us storage.
