A healthy start to our charity appeal

In what has already been a challenging year for IT chiefs, there are plenty of reasons to feel downbeat. Budgets have been tightened across the board; promising projects mothballed as costs are squeezed; in several cases, valued colleagues have been let go.

If those in the public sector mistakenly imagined that they might be immune from the downturn, the strenuous efficiency targets that were announced recently will have quickly dispelled those misconceptions.

And yet amid all the gloom, it is good to report that there seem to be huge numbers within the UK IT community willing to look beyond their immediate concerns, and spare a thought ­ and indeed some money ­ for others.

Last week, Computing launched its 2009 charity appeal in conjunction with the charity Computer Aid International, and we are delighted to report that the initial response has been fantastic. This year’s appeal is attempting to raise funds to equip 120 hospitals in rural Africa with vital telemedicine systems.

This life-saving equipment can make a huge difference in remote community hospitals. By equipping such hospitals with some relatively simple and cheap gear such as a laptop, digital camera and scanner, doctors there can communicate with specialists at larger city hospitals, improving diagnoses and treatment.

The compassion of Computing readers was never in doubt. Nevertheless, the initial response has still taken us aback. Several companies have already made significant donations, and the contributions from individuals have been extremely generous.

We are still banking on you to help us further. Computer Aid has identified 80 hospitals and health centres that would benefit enormously from the introduction of telemedicine, so all contributions, no matter how modest, would be gratefully received.

If you want to get involved, or find out more information, contact Stephen Campbell at Computer Aid on 020 8361 5540 or email stephen@computeraid.org. Or you can donate at: www.justgiving.com/computingtelemedicine.