Press Release - 27th November 2006

While the NHS struggles with the implementation of its multi-billion pound IT refresh, spare a thought for hospitals in Moldova, Europe’s poorest country, many of which run without access to a single computer. A lack of IT affects most areas of a hospital’s operations, including diagnostics, training, record-keeping as well as isolating Moldovan doctors from the wealth of information available on the web.

Technology charity Digital Links International are helping the Moldovan Ministry of Health to computerise hospitals and health centres by providing low cost refurbished computers donated by UK companies.

Digital Links is a charity that provides an IT disposal service to UK companies and refurbishes the PCs for reuse in the developing world. Their service includes guaranteed and certified data erasure and compliance with all current and upcoming legislation.

The Moldovan project has received an enormous boost from BUPA, who have agreed to provide £25,000 to cover the cost of providing 800 refurbished computers. This will provide computers for 30 medical institutions in Moldova, including: hospitals, primary care centres, laboratories, and medical schools.

BUPA, who also donate all their redundant computers to Digital Links, sponsored 200 PCs for Moldovan hospitals in early 2006. Mark Ralf, Group Purchasing Director at BUPA and Chairman of BUPA Giving, said “BUPA is thrilled that these computers will help to improve the health services for the people of Moldova”.

Digital Links CEO David Sogan, who visited the newly computerised hospitals, said “it was fantastic to see how well they were being used and what a difference they made. We are delighted with this additional funding, which will have a dramatic effect on the provision of healthcare in Moldova” He went on to say that “Digital Links need as many organisations as possible to donate their old computers, so that we can help to computerise all of Moldova’s hospitals”

Professor Ababii, the Moldovan Minister of Health expressed his gratitude to Digital Links and BUPA, saying the computers would be used for a range of institutions including the medical university, the main hospitals and primary care clinics throughout the country. "The computers will help us to greatly improve both the training of doctors and the operation of our healthcare system".