MedShare International

ATLANTA, GA – Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. Life is hard and people die much too young—life expectancy is only 52 years old. Perhaps what stands out most is the recent devastation in Haiti caused by hurricanes this past fall. Almost 2,000 Haitians died. The need for help for those surviving continues.

MedShare International and King & Spalding LLP, a leading international law firm, today announced that they are co-sponsoring a shipment of medical supplies and equipment to Haiti. The 40-foot container carrying life-saving medical materials will leave the loading dock this afternoon from MedShare’s Atlanta headquarters.

Approximately 12,000 pounds of supplies and equipment will benefit Hopital Albert Schweitzer Haiti (HAS) in Deschapelles plus the seven dispensaries throughout the Artibonite Valley in Central Haiti. The hospital serves a rural district of 285,000 people. Current community health programs address high levels of malnutrition, tuberculosis, and AIDS, as well as recent increases in traumatic injuries and chronic diseases. The shipment of medical supplies and equipment will help HAS to meet the needs for curative and preventative health services through the 190-bed hospital and its community-based services.

“MedShare’s mission is to provide countries with urgently needed medical supplies and equipment. This is not possible without the generous financial support of container sponsors like King & Spalding,” said A.B. Short, MedShare’s Chief Executive Officer. “MedShare collects surplus medical supplies and used equipment from U.S. hospitals and manufacturers. The organization then donates them to overseas facilities serving vulnerable populations. A hallmark of MedShare is that we only donate supplies and equipment that are requested, ensuring that doctors and the hospitals get what they need to treat patients and save lives.”

“We are pleased to sponsor this shipment of supplies to benefit those needing medical attention in Haiti, and we proudly support MedShare’s mission of helping healthcare providers in underserved nations by providing them with much needed supplies and equipment that would otherwise go to waste,” said Walter W. Driver, Jr., Chairman of King & Spalding.

About MedShare International

By recycling surplus medical supplies and equipment that would otherwise be discarded, MedShare International stands at the nexus of health needs internationally and of saving the environment locally. Founded in 1998, the organization has donated approximately $25 million worth of life-saving supplies and equipment to 78 countries around the world through container shipments and medical teams.

For further information on MedShare or to find out how you can make a donation toward a container shipment, call (770) 323-5858 or visit our website at www.medshare.org.

About King & Spalding

King & Spalding LLP is an international law firm with more than 800 lawyers in Atlanta, Houston, London, New York and Washington, D.C. The firm represents more than half of the Fortune 100, and in a Corporate Counsel survey in October 2004 was ranked one of the top ten firms representing Fortune 250 companies overall. For additional information, visit www.kslaw.com.

About Hopital Albert Schweitzer Haiti

Hopital Albert Schweitzer Haiti maintains full services in adult medicine, surgery, Gynecology and high-risk obstetrics, and Pediatrics. Services are provided in the main hospital and 7 health centers and dispensaries, and through a network of community-based health workers who provide preventative services, primary care and health education. In addition, community workers support the economic development of the population through wells and water projects, microcredit loans, veterinary services and reforestation. The hospital's webpage is www.hashaiti.org, and it may be contacted through info@hashaiti.org, or by telephone at (412) 361-5200.

Contact:

Alyssa Gair
MedShare International
(770) 323-5858

Jessica Schnaack
King & Spalding
(212) 556-2226

Ian G. Rawson
Treasurer, Hopital Albert Schweitzer Haiti
(412) 361-5200