By CAROLINE WILSON

MEDICAL equipment from Glasgow hospitals due to close next year is to be donated to help the emergency effort in Syria.

The Victoria Infimary, the Western and Yorkhill hospital are all shutting due to the opening of the South Glasgow University Hospital in Summer 2015.

Equipment that is not transferring to the new hospital will be redeployed to alternative sites or services where possible.

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde has now agreed to donate any remaining equipment to charities that help deliver medical aid to countries including Syria, Kenya and Zambia and Malawi.

The board already donates some hospital equipment to the Malawi Initiative, which will have first call on donations.

It will be sent to Malawi by the Lord Provost's office of Glasgow City Council which sends regular shipments to Malawi.

A spokeswoman for NHSGGC said: "NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde has a very good record or working with the Malawi Initiative and Glasgow City Council to donate surplus equipment.

"The migration of 10,000 staff and services to the new South Glasgow University Hospital and the new Royal Hospital for Sick Children is scheduled to start in April 2015 and a lot of equipment will be transferred to the two new hospitals; a significant amount of equipment will also be procured brand new.

"There will be equipment surplus to requirements and today at the Board meeting members gave their full support to the Malawi Initiative having first option on any surplus equipment which will result from the closure of the old Southern General and old Royal Hospital for Sick Children, the Victoria Infirmary, Mansionhouse Unit and Western Infirmary.

"Anything that wasn't suitable for the Malawi Initiative would be donated to other charities that are registered with the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR)."

The new South Glasgow University Hospital and Royal Hospital For Sick Children will deliver the "gold standard" of healthcare on the Govan site, with maternity, children's and adult acute hospitals, and state of the art laboratory services all together on the one campus.

It will also have the biggest Critical Care complex and one of the biggest Emergency Departments in Scotland.

The adult and children's hospitals are due to be completed in the New Year with both scheduled to open in the Summer.

The Western, Victoria and Yorkhill will closed on a phased basis.