Centric Gives Back

As a Healthcare Company, it is hard to look around the world, see the suffering of those less fortunate than ourselves and then choose to ignore it.

We just can't do that...so instead, we have rolled up our sleeves to support several charities.

Orbis

The charity closest to our hearts is Orbis, an international non-profit non-governmental organisation dedicated to saving sight worldwide. Its programmes focus on the prevention of blindness and the treatment of blinding eye diseases in developing countries through hands-on training, public health education, advocacy and local partnerships.

Our CEO founded an Irish Office for Orbis in 2003.  In 2007, Orbis Ireland set a challenging goal: To eradicate trachoma, a horrific painful blinding disease, in a population of 2 million people in the Gama Gofa region of Ethiopia.

The Impact of Orbis Ireland’s work so far:

Between 2014 and 2016, an impact survey was carried out in the region. Orbis compared these results with the baseline survey conducted at the beginning of the project in 2007. In some areas, the prevalence of trachoma has reduced by up to 90%. This phenomenal result is a direct consequence of the generosity of the Irish people, both in terms of voluntary work and financial contributions.

Of the €172.6m raised in 2014, €152.9m was spent on programmes and services across the 92 countries in which Orbis works, €14.3m was spent on fundraising and only $4.3m was spent on management and administration of the Charity. This is because the vast majority of work done by Orbis is undertaken by volunteers including surgeons, nurses, doctors, engineers, IT professionals and pilots. Everyone involved in Orbis is acutely focused on ensuring that as much as possible of the money fundraised is spent on those suffering from avoidable blindness.

The following video will give you a better idea of the people Orbis helps and the work done…

Please come and join us on our journey with Orbis Ireland, to eradicate trachoma from the Gama Gofa region.

Whether you can have a cake sale and raise even €20 or maybe take part in the Great Ethiopian run with us which we do every November (and get healthier training with our teams-its only 10K and you can walk it too!), or perhaps get much more involved, every effort does make a difference.

Please visit Orbis Ireland for more information.

Medecins Sans Frontieres Red Cross Ukraine Appeal

In February 2022, Russia bombed several cities in Ukraine, resulting in a full-scale war, and the migration of over 8 million people.  

Intense fighting has led to eight million people leaving Ukraine and becoming refugees in Europe.  Within Ukraine, over 5.3 million people remain displaced by the war.**

As war continues across Ukraine and people flee, MSF teams are responding to a severe humanitarian crisis, both in Ukraine and in neighbouring countries.

Approximately 124 international and 686 Ukrainian surgeons, doctors, nurses, psychologists, logisticians and administrators are working in response to the war in Ukraine.  Patients are evacuated from hospitals close to the frontlines, via two medically equipped trains one of which can care for intensive care patients.  An emergency department and surgical and intensive care units with medical care are running at the Kostiantynivka Hospital, where teams mostly treat trauma cases.

Medical supplies and hygiene kits are distributed to medical facilities and training support is given for emergency responses, to enable optimal management of high influx of war wounded, decontamination, trauma, gender-based violence and mental health. Emergency room and direct, hands-on surgical support are provided.

MSF mobile clinics provide basic healthcare services, psychological counselling and social services, sexual and reproductive health services, mental healthcare, chronic disease treatment and health promotion.

Vulnerable evacuees fleeing parts of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts and Mariupol are offered basic care and rehabilitation services in one of more than 40 shelters.

In collaboration with health authorities, MSF assists in the treatment,  contact tracing and care of those with Tuberculosis.

Centric Health practices throughout Ireland have responded to the war in Ukraine by running fundraisers from coffee mornings to marathons and overnight sleepouts.  Many chose to forfeit some of their salaries.  To date over €50,000 has been raised and more than 20 truckloads of medical and humanitarian provisions have been delivered to Ukraine.