Surgeon Noonan, a fully registered charity founded in 1977 and run voluntarily by fourth-year medical students from University College Cork (UCC), has provided hospitals and communities across Africa with vital medical supplies, support and financial aid for almost 50 years. The charity was founded to celebrate Tim Noonan, a UCC Medical School graduate who worked for much of his surgical career across Sub-Saharan Africa.
The charity aims to raise more than €150,000 yearly to support underfunded rural hospitals in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Surgeon Noonan’s legacy lives on
Aisling Gouldson, Surgeon Noonan’s Chairperson, spoke about the charity’s impact and how Mr Noonan’s legacy has inspired future medical students.
“Since its founding in 1977, the Surgeon Noonan Society has significantly impacted healthcare in underprivileged hospitals across Sub-Saharan Africa, and the charity has supported hospitals in Malawi, Tanzania, Zambia, and Kenya, among others. Every year, fourth-year medical students aim to raise over €150,000, funds which go to more than 10 hospitals across these countries,” she said.
Ms Gouldson expressed a sense of pride in their ability to be one of the only Irish registered charities who donate 100% of their collected funds to their respective beneficiaries. She further spoke of their firm accountability policy, which involves monitoring what beneficiary hospitals intend to spend the donated funds on and stringent follow-up processes on where this capital is invested.
She also said they try to collect medical supplies to distribute to the hospitals they visit yearly, as these hospitals desperately lack basic analgesics, antibiotics, vitamins, sterile medical equipment, and more. According to her, the society raised €186,000 for projects in 2024 and saw its lasting impact on healthcare projects and programs across several countries.
An example of St Luke’s Hospital in Zambia, where a devastating cholera outbreak last year left the hospital with insufficient water to treat patients and no supply of staff housing and facilities in dire need of repair, was cited to echo their good deeds. A similar example was reported by the Republic of Sudan declaring a severe cholera outbreak, of over 43,000 cholera cases and nearly 1,200 deaths across several states, including the country’s capital.Â
She appreciated Surgeon Noonan and how he restored the water and plumbing system and refurbished the roof of the physiotherapy department.
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Through the support of Surgeon Noonan, Bugisi in Tanzania has managed to roll out comprehensive, free antenatal care, making it accessible to more than 200 women in just two months. Surgeon Noonan helped renovate two wards at St Joseph’s in Zambia, including one for malnourished children.
“The society’s foundation was inspired by the legacy of Tim Noonan, a UCC medical graduate who dedicated years of his life to volunteering in hospitals in Nigeria and the Congo, and this legacy continues to inspire students, including myself, who are drawn to the opportunity to make a tangible difference in underserved communities. This year, the group has engaged in a range of fundraising activities, including running marathons, hosting flag days, organizing a New York holiday raffle, and producing promotional materials to raise awareness and funds collectively, we have raised €116,000 to date.”‘ Ms Gouldson explained further.
Towards the end of this year,29 students from Surgeon Noonan, referred to as ‘Noonanites’, will travel to Africa. They have been tirelessly working to raise funds and prepare for their journey.
The organization held flag days across Cork city and county from September to December, including Wilton, Douglas, Bantry, and Charleville in the city center. They also attended the Listowel Races, Kilkenny, and Wexford before wrapping up the initiative in Dingle for the New Year.
In October, Surgeon Noonan partnered with the UCC Fashion Society to host the ‘Bring a Dress, Buy a Dress’ initiative. The wider UCC student body donated dresses.Â
They were available for try-on and purchase in the student union standard room to promote circular fashion. The event was enormously successful, raising more than €400.
In October 2024, the Guinness Cork Jazz Festival saw Surgeon Noonan break its record by collecting more than €47,000. The generosity of the attendees blew away organizers.
Eoghan Heaney, the society’s Accountability Officer, completed the Gap of Dunloe Marathon and raised more than €5,000 in a separate fundraising effort. With €116,000 raised so far, the society is preparing to raise more funds in the coming weeks and months to ensure it meets its target of €150,000.
Last weekend, Surgeon Noonan hosted its annual charity ball at the Rochestown Park Hotel. The organization will next host a charity concert in the Aula Maxima at UCC on Thursday, February 13.
This year, 29 students travelling to Africa will visit Malawi, Tanzania, Zambia, and Kenya, and there, they will complete a four–week elective placement as part of their core structure for fourth-year medicine. This trip is entirely self-funded, and every cent raised directly supports the hospitals and communities in need.
Surgeon Noonan’s leadership qualities are inspiring, noble, and worth emulating. His power of student activism and compassion continue to leave an indelible mark on the hearts of many African beneficiaries, proving that these acts of kindness and generosity can profoundly impact lives on a transformative tide.