Edendork man John Hurson campaigning to get three maternity clinics into Gaza

THREE fully equipped mobile maternity clinics built with money raised by local people remain stranded in Cairo, as Edendork man John Hurson steps up efforts to get them into Gaza.

After years of fundraising, planning and construction, John’s humanitarian project has reached a frustrating standstill, with the clinics ready for use but unable to reach the women and babies they were designed to help.

Now, following a motion passed by Mid Ulster District Council calling for urgent political intervention, he hopes pressure on the British and Irish governments will help secure their entry into Gaza.

Speaking to the Courier, John said the units could make a life-saving difference to women forced to give birth in appalling conditions.

“There are between 130 to 150 births per day in Gaza and the women are giving birth in the most horrendous conditions with high numbers of stillbirths and malnutrition,” he said.

“It’s absolutely horrendous that this is allowed to happen yet just a few hours away from them we’ve got a solution.”

The project began after John travelled to Gaza three times as part of convoys delivering ambulances and other vehicles for the health system. Determined to find another way to help, he came across an English charity that had converted a bus into a mobile maternity unit in Egypt.

Recognising the potential of the idea, he began raising funds through coffee mornings, sponsored walks and donations from the public.

The first clinic was completed in July 2025, with a further two finished by the end of February 2026. However, with all three vehicles remaining in Cairo and no access to Gaza, the team decided to put its fundraising campaign on hold.

John said the units had been designed to replicate hospital maternity wards, bringing essential care directly to women in refugee camps and tent settlements.

Each clinic is equipped with maternity beds, internet connectivity to allow medical staff to consult other doctors and midwives, a built-in generator and battery packs to power air conditioning.

“They are actually linked up with the internet so it’s easy to get in contact with other doctors or midwives,” he said.

“When we planned the specifications it wasn’t about what we thought they wanted, it was what they themselves wanted and I think it’s a beautiful gift from the people of Ireland.”

The immediate obstacle is securing permission for the vehicles and medical equipment to enter Gaza. John said the team had been left waiting in Cairo despite provisions for medical aid under the ceasefire agreement.

Support for the initiative has come from prominent figures in the arts and entertainment world, including Dame Judi Dench and Annie Lennox, as well as the Irish Government.

Mid Ulster District Council has now added its voice to the campaign, passing a motion at its monthly meeting on October 22 calling for urgent representations to be made to the British and Irish governments.

The motion was carried by 27 votes to one, with nine DUP/UUP councillors abstaining. The council agreed to write to the First Minister and deputy First Minister, asking Stormont to press for the maternity units to be allowed into Gaza.

“I just thought to myself, ‘where is the humanity?’ This is a humanitarian project, I just couldn’t understand how anyone wouldn’t support it,” he said.

“I can’t speak for them but I just found it very sad that they couldn’t support an initiative like this.”

John is due to travel to Gaza at the end of November, where he hopes to meet representatives from the British and Irish embassies and generate further support for the project.

John said he had covered his own expenses throughout the campaign to ensure every penny donated went towards building the clinics.

His focus now is on turning years of work into practical help for mothers and newborns who urgently need it.

“When you hear the stories from midwives in Gaza of them delivering babies without anaesthetic, without proper bandages, it’s frustrating that we have an answer and we have a solution,” he said.

“These mobile units are ready to start immediately and they would be a real lifesaver for women over there.”