Derriford’s ultrasound platforms help African villages via carbon offset

Two Aplio a-series ultrasound systems have been installed into Derriford Hospital, part of University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust, to assist with obstetric and gynaecological patient examinations, helping the clinical team make informed decisions about patient cases. The equipment’s carbon footprint, taking into account manufacturing, packaging, shipping and average energy usage for the standard lifetime, has been offset by Canon Medical Systems to a high impact project in Uganda and Kenya.

People in rural villages in East Africa will be helped through improved cooking stove and water borehole projects; new energy-saving cooking stoves mean a 50 per cent reduction in firewood, cutting carbon emissions by three tonnes while reducing the indoor smoke that has serious long-term health implications on families.

“Having come from East Africa, I know first-hand how important it is to invest in these countries and help them develop,” said consultant in obstetrics and gynaecology Dr Umesh Acharya. “The installation of our new Aplio a-series ultrasound systems is therefore a win-win solution for all the world. We continue to help our patients, and we also play a part in making a better life for people in developing nations.”

Picture: Derriford Hospital consultant in obstetrics and gynaecology Dr Umesh Acharya with Canon Medical Systems UK ultrasound regional manager Tim Palarm.

Published on page 16 of the June 2020 issue of RAD Magazine.