To respond to the dire need for medical supplies in Haiti, MedShare is sending four 40-foot containers of medical supplies to Haiti over the next week, with the first shipment leaving Friday.
“In responding to the medical needs in Haiti, it is important for MedShare to act quickly, but responsibly. On-the-ground conditions in Haiti are constantly changing, so we must take all the appropriate steps to ensure that we ship these requested medical supplies in the most efficient manner,” said A.B. Short, CEO and Co-Founder of MedShare, a nonprofit that recovers and redistributes surplus medical supplies from hospitals and medical companies to developing countries.
To respond to the immediate need, MedShare is sending on Friday a 40-foot container of medical supplies in partnership with World Help. These medical supplies will be distributed at a medical triage stationed near the Port-au-Prince airport.
Also on Friday, MedShare is using a donated private plane to ship 55 boxes of requested medical supplies with a team of eight doctors from International Medical Alliance(IMA) to the Dominican Republic. The IMA team will travel to a 100-bed hospital on the Haitian border where 1,800 patients await medical treatment.
“We’re learning that many of the Haitian people are fleeing from Port-au-Prince to other areas of Haiti and crossing into the Dominican Republic. The hospitals and clinics throughout Haiti and near the Haitian border need medical supplies and assistance to accommodate the flood of victims,” said Short.
Over the next week, MedShare plans to ship three 40-foot containers of requested medical supplies followed by several more contingent on funding availability. Kimberly-Clark Corporation is sponsoring a container of additional medical supplies to be sent to the AMA team. MedShare’s Western Region Distribution Center will also send a container with requested medical supplies to Food For The Poor. A third container sponsored by Rotary International is being rescheduled due to port closings for shipment to a hospital in North Haiti.
Once immediate needs are met, MedShare’s efforts will transition to support the longer-term recovery for the health systems in Haiti. All funding will be used for projects in Haiti, with the top priority being immediate support for medical relief.
MedShare is raising funds and seeking medical product donations from companies as they continue responding to requests for medical supplies. Over the past 10 years, they have sent 36 forty-foot containers of medical supplies and equipment to various hospitals in Haiti.
To donate or learn more about MedShare’s relief efforts in Haiti visit the Web site at www.medshare.org. Individuals or companies inquiring about sponsoring medical relief shipments to Haiti can contact Dave Pass at 770.323.5858 ext. 220 or dpass@medshare.org. Companies wishing to submit an in-kind donation can contact Rob Oviatt at 770.323.5858 ext. 207 or roviatt@medshare.org.
