TWO surgeons from Salisbury District Hospital are leaving today to climb Africa's highest mountain, in order tor raise money for Stars Appeal.

Harshad Dabke, a Consultant Spinal Surgeon, and Jayanth Kunjur, a Consultant Maxillofacial Surgeon, are aiming to climb Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. a summit of 5875 metres.

All funds raised are being donated to the Stars Appeal's MRI Scanner campaign, and all donations will be given directly to Stars Appeal, as both surgeons have already paid upfront for the expenses of the trip.

Mr Dabke, who also completed a 60 mile trek of the Sahara desert in 2011 to raise money for the Stars Appeal Spinal Unit, said: “Our training is going good, and let’s hope we don’t have any altitude issues.”

The campaign recently hit the £1million mark, thanks to generous Salisbury residents and Journal readers.

But the campaign is not over, and now the final push is on to raise the last £500,000 needed to buy the life-saving campaign.

The chairman of the MRI Scanner Campaign, Consultant Surgeon Graham Branagan, urged supporters to keep going with their fundraising attempts.

"To have reached the £1milllion mark is testament to the had work and generosity of the local population and is a massive boost to all concerned here in the hospital," he said.

"Please don't stop those fabulous efforts as we strive to raise the remaining £500,000 needed for the second scanner.

To donate, go to either: www.justgiving.com/fundraising/harshaddabke, or www.justgiving.com/fundraising/jayanth-kunjur