Pandaw Clinic Barge

Thanks to the generosity of one individual donor we have been able to buy and refit a brand new barge for under $250,000.

The motorised 128 ft barge has been fitted out with a modern clinic, accommodation for doctors and even parking for two trucks. There are ample holds below decks for storing supplies. There is a water treatment plant, generators and even a parking space for a light truck.

It was handed over to the UK medical charity Merlin in September 2008 who ran the medical side whilst the Pandaw Team operate the marine side.

Between September 2008 and March 2009 4,487 patients were treated by the Merlin team on board.

During the hot season 2009 the vessel was also used to deliver fresh water to villages. The holds were relined and painted to carry water that could be pumped out into communal tanks.

Merlin have indicated to us that they will not have a future requirement for the vessel. We are currently in talks with the Myanmar Doctor’s Association who are working with an Australian charity. They would use the vessel over July and August for a mobile eye clinic.

Once the cyclone relief effort is over, we hope that the Pandaw Clinic Barge will ply upriver visiting remote river villages to offer medical assistance for many years to come.

If this is not practicable, the vessel can be sold and the fund realised used to fund related programmes such as school building.

The Clinic Barge for a river country like Burma is a great long term concept so long as we can find the right NGO partners to work with.