NORTH Wales Assembly Member Mark Isherwood has challenged the Welsh Government this week over its “static” support for a charity which is benefitting both the NHS in Wales and communities in Africa.
Speaking in yesterday’s Business Statement, Mr Isherwood said the Wales for Africa Health Links Network is doing great work but is not receiving the support it needs from the Welsh Government.
Calling for a Welsh Government Statement on the charity, he said:
“During the summer, I had a very useful meeting with trustees of the registered charity, Wales for Africa Health Links Network, to discuss the various Health links across North Wales. They told me about the links between Wrexham-Maelor and Glan Clwyd hospitals and Ethiopia, and between Ysbyty Gwynedd and Lesotho.
“They told me that they were getting a big impact for a small input, because there were so many volunteers giving their time free, particularly health professionals who are, therefore, also able to develop their soft skills and benefiting the NHS, with 'the Welsh Government getting great value for money' in terms of global health, global responsibility, international links and soft diplomacy, as well as the soft skills they themselves were developing.
“They told me that key commitments from the NHS for institutional International Health Links are represented by the Charter for International Health Partnerships, but the NHS and Health Boards were being very slow in implementing their commitments, and that although the Welsh Government's Wales for Africa programme has been a success in having an impact for the benefit of communities in Wales and Africa, and being very good for the reputation of Wales as a country, the Welsh Government support for the programme has been static for years.
“Will you, therefore, consider providing a Statement in this context, where there's evidence to show that doing a little bit more could have a massive further beneficial impact on both Wales and on particularly the communities in Africa that these professionals are giving their voluntary time to support?”
In her response, the Leader of the House blamed UK Government’s austerity agenda for the charity’s static funding situation.
Mr Isherwood added: “ Once again, the Welsh Government is passing the buck rather than looking at how it can deliver more for less by working smarter”.
ENDS