Repeating Islands

A 40-foot shipping container destined for Jamaica was loaded with medical supplies and hospital beds Wednesday as part of a humanitarian relief effort to help two hospitals in dire need of medical equipment in Jamaica. The supplies have been sent by RecoverCare, a distributor of medical equipment; Supplies Over Seas, an aid program of the Greater Louisville Medical Society; Hand-in-Hand Ministries, and Food for the Poor, international relief agencies providing aid for Caribbean and Latin American countries.

Food for the Poor, who partners with Supplies Over Seas on relief efforts, identified the hospitals as a priority for equipment. Although relief efforts are continuing with Haiti in the wake of its devastating earthquake, Supplies Over Seas senior executive Allen Montgomery says that it makes sense to help Jamaica as well: “Right now there’s a backlog in terms of supplies going to Haiti so we looked at other potential needs around the world. As things open back up we will revisit sending additional supplies and equipment to Haiti.

Montgomery explained that Supplies Over Seas has sent more than 530 tons of surplus medical supplies and equipment to 87 underserved countries in its 15-year history. “We work with local hospitals and other organizations in the area to recover supplies and equipment that in many cases would otherwise end up in landfills or as salvage,” he said. But in this particular effort, RecoverCare was willing to provide all of the supplies. “Helping those in need and supporting local charities is fundamental to who we are and what we do at RecoverCare,” Mark Bidner, chief executive officer of the company said in a statement. “We are proud to be working alongside SOS to support the Jamaican health system.”

For full article, see http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20100324/NEWS01/3240388/-1/rss

For more information on Supplies Over Seas, see www.suppliesoverseas.org; for RecoverCare, see http://www.recovercare.com/; for Hand-in-Hand Ministries, see http://www.hhministries.com/Who-We-Are.html; for Food for the Poor, see http://www.foodforthepoor.org/