McMaster's Campion-Smith takes part in Nigerian hospital revitalization project

There's much to be done in the Nigerian town of Egbe, and Austin Campion-Smith made the journey yet again this spring. The decorated setter for the Marauder men's volleyball team — who graduates as the co-recipient of the Dr. Ray Johnson Award — returned to the town of Egbe for a second year as part of the ongoing effort to revitalize the area's hospital.

Campion-Smith's grandparents founded the hospital in 1952, with a program of improvement being launched in 2011 to restore several essential services and expand the compound. With a wealth of construction and grounds maintenance experience, Campion-Smith has lent his expertise to the large group project, along with a group of over 300 construction and medical volunteers from across Canada and the United States.

Since it began four years ago, the rebuilding program has restored the hospital's water supply, installed new electrical lines across the 33-acre compound, renovated 17 missionary and staff homes, shipped 16 containers of medical and construction equipment, recruited medical staff and constructed a new 12,000 square foot building with six patient examination rooms, a large out-patient facility, intensive care unit, laborator and x-ray department, family planning clinic, pharmacy and central supply department.

The community itself is actively involved in the project and excited to make the hospital a centre of excellence in the region.

For more information on the project, see www.egbehospital.org.

Source: McMaster Marauders