Hurricane Matthew

MedShare has sent 6 shipments containing 63,433 pounds of lifesaving supplies
to Haiti in response to Hurricane Matthew.

MedShare has equipped 35 medical teams with 2,366 pounds of supplies to reach the most remote areas of Haiti.

The healthcare providers we are serving in Haiti include Food for the Poor, Hope for Haiti, Hôpital Pediatrique Saint Damien, and Project Medishare.

And we will continue to support our friends in Haiti in an effort to strengthen their health system for future generations.

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The following tribute was written by MedShare CEO and President, Charles Redding.

Celebrating the People of Haiti

Today, January 12, 2017, marks the 7-year anniversary of the devastating earthquake the hit Haiti in 2010. Over 3.5 million people were affected by the 7.0 magnitude earthquake that struck near Port au Prince. It is estimated that over 220,000 people were killed and 300,000 more were injured.

IMG-20161005-WA0022During that seemingly hopeless period MedShare responded by delivering 34 shipments of medical supplies valued at over $3.5 million. We also equipped countless medical teams to provide aid to the victims of this catastrophic event.
Since 2010, MedShare has delivered 69 forty-foot shipping containers of medical supplies and equipment to Haiti, valued at over $8 million. These supplies in the capable hands of Haiti’s healthcare providers allowed them to begin to recover following the unimaginable devastation.
In October of last year Hurricane Matthew threatened to derail the progress we made together. We continue to support our friends in Haiti as they struggle in the aftermath of this disaster. Since October, we have sent six shipments with 63,433 pounds of lifesaving supplies to Haiti and equipped 35 medical teams responding to the hurricane. They are working hard to rebuild their healthcare system again, but they need our help.

Join us in praying for recovery, in providing support, and in celebrating this ever-resilient nation that has seen so much devastation but has never lost hope.

 

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This is Haiti in the wake of Hurricane Matthew:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Haiti has seen a 50% increase in reported cases of Cholera have been reported in hurricane affected areas. Over 100,000 people have been evacuated from their homes and 1.4 million people are currently in need of humanitarian aid. It’s unclear how many have died.

 

 

 

And this is what MedShare is doing to help:

• MedShare has sent 6 shipments full of thousands of pounds of medical supplies to Haiti and we couldn’t have done it without our product donors. A huge thanks goes to these organizations who gave generously for health in Haiti:
  • Charles S. Hill, MD
  • Covidien
  • Dukal Corporation
  • Ferris Manufacturing Corporation
  • Halyard Health
  • Henry Schein
  • Hutchins & Hutchins
  • Northwell Health Integrated Distribution
  • Pepper Medical
  • Restorative Care of America
  • Tronex Distribution Centre
  • Vizient
  • VWR International
• The first arrived in Les Cayes on October 21st, the second shipment is on its way to Port-au-Prince on an ocean freighter, and our 3rd shipment arrived in Haiti via AirLink on November 1st.
• Our third shipment of more than 7,600 pounds of medical supplies arrived in Port-au-Prince for our recipients at Saint Damien Pediatric Hospital.
• MedShare’s first shipment arrived in Les Cayes on October 21st. Hope for Haiti, one of our partners on the ground, received 6,840 pounds of medical supplies on October 21st and are working hard to provide care for the hundreds of thousands of injured and sick people on the peninsula.
• We sent our second shipment of 13,000 pounds on October 27th. These supplies will go to our friends at Food for the Poor in Haiti.
• We heard back from our first MedTeam: “We have distributed 520 kits and also donated medical supplies for two hospitals in Leogane, specially for their maternity sections. … I have seen my people deprived of everything they need but yet smiling for so little that we gave them.” – Gaelle Castor
• Our dedicated volunteers in Atlanta, San Francisco, and New York have prepared OVER 41 TONS of medical products to be sent to hurricane affected areas! That’s more than 82,000 pounds of life saving supplies! We’ve seen a huge rise in volunteering since the hurricane hit and we want to thank everyone who has come together to help our friends in Haiti!
• We received a donation from VWR totaling 10,635 pounds of syringes, Personal Protective Equipment, respirators, and other essential medical supplies that healthcare organizations in Haiti desperately need right now. Volunteers have sorted and packaged these products and they are being logged into our inventory for Haitian healthcare workers to select exactly what they need. Thanks to everyone at VWR!
• MedShare’s first shipment of Hurricane Matthew relief supplies was unloaded in Port-au-Prince on October 18th.
• Our first Hurricane Matthew relief shipment contained 6,840 pounds of medical supplies. Our partners on the ground at Hope for Haiti requested bandages, needles, crutches, antiseptics, and other emergency response materials. They operate in Les Cayes on the southern peninsula. The hurricane cut off the peninsula from the rest of the island and has left people there with little to no aid.
• Medical Mission Teams are picking up supplies at each of our locations everyday. They have collected over 1,000 pounds of life saving medical supplies and will take them directly to communities affected by the hurricane. We welcome teams that are leaving immediately to come to MedShare and take supplies with them!
• Our partners at Food for the Poor, Partners in Health, and St. Damien Pediatric Hospital have told us that, based on what they’re seeing on the ground, needs are only going to grow as time goes on.
• We are staying in contact with these partners to make sure that we are up-to-date on what supplies are lacking as relief efforts continue. These are things like orthopedic equipment, Personal Protective Equipment, and hygiene materials.
• Our Procurement Team is working tirelessly with our product partners to collect these most-requested supplies.
• Our MedTeam Stores are being constantly stocked for teams headed to the Caribbean.
• We are arranging with groups on the ground to get supplies to areas that have become inaccessible after the destruction of the hurricane.
• We are organizing supplies and equipment for container shipments that will assist in the post-hurricane rebuild.
• In the immediate aftermath of the hurricane, Atlanta Hawks staff and Janssen Biotech employees sorted and packaged 426 boxes with 3,433 pounds of medical supplies for Hurricane Matthew Relief.

 

Here’s what you can do:

• Volunteer to sort and box supplies to be sent to the Caribbean
• Donate to MedShare’s Hurricane Matthew Relief Fund
• Spread the word, talk to your friends and family about getting involved, and share our posts on social media. We want everyone to know that MedShare is here to help!
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram

 

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Photos we’ve gotten from our MedTeams so far:

 

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October 5, 2016 – MedShare began disaster response preparation after Hurricane Matthew hit ground in Haiti on Tuesday. The organization has a long history with healthcare facilities in the region and has sent more than 120 shipments of medical supplies to Haiti, Cuba, Jamaica, and The Bahamas in the past.

 

MedShare CEO & President, Charles Redding, stated “MedShare is dedicated to the health and safety of our global community, especially during times of crisis. As our friends in Caribbean countries experience the devastating effects of Hurricane Matthew, we want them to know that we are responding quickly and effectively to send medical supplies to help them through the storm and to rebuild after it has passed.”

 

The Atlanta Hawks staff will volunteer at MedShare to sort and box supplies for the countries affected by Hurricane Matthew. “Our employees understand the importance of ‘building bridges to the community through basketball’ and felt MedShare was a great partner in helping us to serve those in need,” said Andrea Carter, Senior Director of Corporate Social Responsibility for the Atlanta Hawks and Philips Arena. “We are even more grateful that our efforts will assist a global community devastated by Hurricane Matthew and in need of immediate help.”

 

Henry Schein, Inc., the world’s largest provider of health care products and services to office-based dental, animal health, and medical practitioners, became the Fund’s first corporate sponsor with a $25,000 donation. The company’s donation enables MedShare to procure, pack, and ship supplies in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Matthew. This shipment is being prepared and will be deployed to the Caribbean region as soon as possible.

 

MedShare has reached out to healthcare posts in the affected areas to determine what supplies are needed most. The organization utilizes a direct ordering system to ensure that healthcare facilities receive exactly the supplies they need. Disaster relief efforts have been mobilized in all three of the organization’s locations in Atlanta, New York, and San Francisco. MedShare is raising funds for its ongoing response.