The Hon Peter Salmon QC was our guest speaker. 
Peter is a High Court judge, a current judge of the Pacific island Court of Appeal and latterly a member of the Remuera Rotary club.
Peter spoke to us of the Fiji oxygen project, a project of the Remuera Rotary Club
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The aim of the project is to raise $700,000 to locate in strategic positions around Fiji oxygen concentrators for the purpose of getting concentrated oxygen to those, in the main children suffering from pneumonia, who do not otherwise have access to it.
Ordinarily oxygen is typically supplied in cylinders to hospitals and medical centres. Sometimes it is not possible to refill or replenish cylinders so that in the absence of the oxygen which is required a significant number of patients, again mainly children die. If a child with severe pneumonia has available concentrated oxygen then the death rate reduces by about 35%.
Enter Prof Stephen Howie of the University of Auckland who has developed a solution to the problem. His solution is building oxygen concentrators that filter out nitrogen from air to accumulate and and supply concentrated oxygen to those who need it.
These concentrators cut out the need for carriage of cylinders of oxygen around Fiji.
The only problem with the concentrators is that a reliable power source is required to enable them to operate. That problem is being addressed through the use of robust solar power systems that provide power not only to the concentrators but to storage batteries.
There are presently three sites in Fiji, serving about 300,000 people. It is intended to expand the site locations to 12 to get the maximum coverage for children
As noted above the cost of the project is $700,000. Remuera are looking to raise $300,000 of the amount needed so that they can get matching Grants from Rotary International and other sources. The approximate cost of each machine is $1600, a customised solar power system cost $31,000 and a complete turnkey operation costs between $45,000 and $60,000. so they are not cheap.
The project sounds worthwhile and we should give close consideration to support of the project over and above the support which has already been provided.
Peter addressed on the Oxygen project...