FIRE AT OVENTIK HOSPITAL, CHIAPAS - APPEAL FOR HELP

Edinburgh Chiapas Solidarity Group has just had bad news from Chiapas. A short circuit has resulted in a fire at the Guadalupana zapatista hospital at Oventik in the Highlands of Chiapas. Luckily no one was hurt patients and health promoters were evacuated in time, but the fire has caused major damage to the whole hospital particularly in five rooms where the health promoters slept, to the operating theatre and the medical supplies store. Smoke damage means that the whole hospital will have to be cleaned and repainted. Medical equipment and materials eg sterilizers, lamps, theatre gowns, bandages, dressings, which have been destroyed all need to be replaced along with everything in the health promoters rooms.

Oventic is the 'caracol', i.e. the main Zapatista centre for the Highlands and our twinned municipality '16 de Febrero' is part of this Highlands zone. A few of us from the Edinburgh Solidarity Group have visited the Hospital at Oventic and one of has worked there in the past so we have seen and heard first hand of the life saving work that goes on there. We know how devastating this is for the indigenous people in the Highlands who go for treatment and for the health promoters who have worked so hard to make the clinic function well. When we talked to the health promoters during a visit in 2004 they told us:

Most illnesses suffered by the indigenous people come down to a lack of good nutrition. People are ill from hunger. They have some maize and beans and a little more. This leads to many illnesses, such as intestinal problems, respiratory problems, skin problems, low immunity, TB. Women suffer the worst. Many women still die in childbirth. Children commonly die from parasites consuming what little food they have.

Then in 1987 and 1988 there grew the idea of creating this clinic. It was built entirely by the voluntary labour of thousands of grass-roots indigenous zapatistas. The clinic was very basic to begin with, and we never dreamed it could become as developed as it is today .

The Edinburgh Chiapas Solidarity Group will be sending a letter of support to the health promoters who have been affected very badly by this. We also hope with your help to send some funds to help rebuild and restock their hospital. If you are able to give a donation, however small, please do, it will help so much. Thank you.

Donations can be paid into our bank account as follows:

Name: Edinburgh Chiapas Solidarity Group
Sort Code: 82-45-05
Account No: 60129411
Bank: Clydesdale Bank

Or send a cheque payable to 'Edinburgh Chiapas Solidarity Group' to:

Edinburgh Chiapas Solidarity Group
c/o Autonomous Centre
17 West Montgomery Place
Edinburgh
EH7 5HA

For cheque donations please let us know that your donation is for the fire appeal or if by bank email to tell us on edinchiapas@yahoo.co.uk.