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A Presbyterian missionary doctor is to set to leave Belfast for Albania tomorrow, Thursday 22 April, in response to a call for help from Coleraine lady Heather Anandlal.
Dr Donald Brownlee read about Heather's call for medical volunteers in the Belfast News Letter and decided to volunteer his services immediately.
'I read the story and after discussion with my wife Una, we both felt that I should volunteer,' said Donald Brownlee who recently retired having spent the last 30 years working firstly in Malawi with the Presbyterian Church and then in Uganda with the Church Mission Society.
Heather, a worker with evangelical missionary organisation Operation Mobilisation lives in Durres on the Albanian coast where her husband is a pastor. Together with the Christian community they have been struggling to give help to the hundreds of Kosovan refugees arriving there and have managed to find accommodation for them in the local disused bread factory.
Through Heather, Dr Brownlee made contact with local Albanian Evangelical Churches and the Bible Institute in Durres who have assured him that his medical skills would be put to immediate use. 'The wife of one of the lecturers in the Bible Institute, Elizabeth Towson is a trained nurse and midwife and has been doing what she can for the refugees,' added Dr Brownlee. 'The plan is that I will be working alongside her in Durres as well as travelling to other camps in the area.'
Support for Dr Brownlee has come from members of his own congregation of Gilnahirk Presbyterian, the Oaktree Trust in Birmingham and generous Christian friends. The Crescent Church in Belfast who regularly support Heather's work are sending several containers loads of clothing and bedding in the next few weeks along with a minibus to help with transportation.
'There have been no reported outbreaks of cholera or things like that and I expect much of what I will be doing will be dealing with normal ailments but among people who are very tired, depressed and sick at heart over what has happened to them, their family and friends and their country. I am only available for about six weeks and my fear is that by that time the story will have slipped from the headlines and no one will be come to replace me.'
Dr Brownlee flies out from Belfast tomorrow night, Thursday 22 April at 7.40pm, staying in London overnight before catching flights to Milan and then Barri where he will join the ferry to arrive in Durres, Albania on Saturday morning.
Issued by Stephen Lynas, Presbyterian Information Services. Info@PresbyterianIreland.org
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