by
Diana Bradley, Staff Writer | December 19, 2011
From the December 2011 issue of HealthCare Business News magazine
Alternatively, hospitals and clinics might upgrade their equipment, according to Bridget Boyd, Project C.U.R.E.’s communications manager.
“America is regulated by medical insurance and the FDA and there’s very strict criteria that’s much more lax in these third-world countries,” said Suits. “The stuff that ends up in our dumps is like gold to these people -- it’s literally saving lives.”
But it’s not just a case of boxing and sending off equipment – it must be sorted, needs assessed and hospitals must be analyzed to see what they have, what needs replacing and if staff are properly trained. Doc2Dock also has a voluntary biotechnician who certifies that the equipment works.
“We don’t just send a gift basket to a hospital,” said Charish. “We don’t want to supply dump – sending 800 boxes of catheters could actually end up being more devastating to a clinic because they’d have to pay to get rid of them.”
For a medical facility requesting assistance, Project C.U.R.E.’s detailed pre-qualification process requires proof of a financial sponsor. A comprehensive onsite assessment is then conducted to determine the specific needs of the medical facility, making sure it’s able to install, use and maintain equipment successfully.
“We wouldn’t send an ultrasound machine to a clinic in the middle of New Guinea that has no electricity,” Boyd said. “That’s where these assessments come into play.”
According to a 2009 University of Denver study surveying Project C.U.R.E.’s medical supplies and equipment recipients, 100 percent had increased community confidence in their facility; 100 percent were able to internally reallocate finances to at least two other needed areas including direct patient care (94 percent) and workplace hygiene (71 percent); 94 percent reported being able to offer more types of procedures; and 88 percent reported being able to offer more services and procedures.
Doc2Dock has also seen improvements in the 15 countries it donates to. Most recently, the organization sent five containers of equipment to Lubumbashi, Katanga – a place Charash described as worse than Haiti.
“In the first three months with the containers, they saw a 25 percent increase in hospitalizations; a 60 percent increase in outpatient clinical visits; and a 38 percent drop in infant and pediatric mortality,” said Charash.
Aside from the immense impact donated medical equipment has on needy patients in other countries, Suits noted that it encourages recycling in the U.S.
“While donating medical equipment saves lives in another country, it also keeps things out of the local landfill -- it’s a win-win situation,” she said.
