Medical supplies and equipment to help poor in Pakistan since 2009

Project Title: 

Mehdi Qamar project for Medical Supplies/Equipment to Pakistan.     

Project In-charge:  

◾Individual: Shahid Sheikh, MD  

◾Organization: APPNA-OHIO     

Project Collaboration:  

◾Med-wish ( Cleveland Ohio ); Medical supplies and equipment (will provide medical supplies, storage and sorting and cataloging supplies. 

◾ Life for Relief and Development, Michigan, USA: Helps in transportation of supplies

◾  SIUT-NA for their help in funding this project  

◾ Nationwide Children’s Hospital (NCH), Columbus , OH : providing medical supplies and equipment.

Project Summary:  

◾Sending Medical supplies and equipment from USA to non-profit medical institutions in Pakistan to help in medical care of poor.   

◾To be used free of cost for poor people who cannot afford.        

Project Initiation: 2009    

Current Recipients:  

◾SIUT (Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation), Karachi , Pakistan   

Project detail  

Health care for poor and needy in Pakistan is a serious issue and because of lack of resources medical supplies and equipment are lacking thus patient care is compromised.  This issue is more prevalent in public sector hospitals and charitable institutions.  Our goal is to collaborate with people on ground in different public sector hospitals/medical schools and private sector charitable hospitals/organizations that are committed to help poor.  We work with those who have proven to be worthy collaborators because of their previous work with us and our collaborators.  Medical supplies/equipment are sent by containers to be used for poor without a charge and follow up is  maintained on proper usage of the supplies/equipment.     

Goal:   

◾We send 2-3 containers (40 feet long full containers) to Pakistan every year with each container carrying medical supplies/equipment worth $ 0.5 to 2 million. 

◾We ensure that these supplies are delievred in the right way to the right people so that health care for poor can improve.   

◾We have developed a mechanism to send at least one large container of supplies every 4-6 months to  Pakistan at places where we can be assured that these equipment and supplies are used for poor people for free and where oversight can be maintained on proper use and utilization with time and with adequate follow up.   

◾Most important worries include these supplies to end up in market or in private practices and not used for the purpose for which they are intended thus we work only with reputable institutions/institutions.  ◾Final decision of the recipient will be made by Appna-Ohio and project in-charge.  

Cost:  

1.Total cost/container is about $12,000 which is sub-divided as follows

1.Medwish service fee: arranging supplies, loading and warehouse usage  

2.transportation/Freight, shipping and inland/custom fee for Pakistan  

Project Duration:  This is a long term project going on for last 7 yearts.  which will start as pilot projects      

Type of equipment we look for:

 i/v pumps, central venous catheters, chest tubes and sets, amboo bag, vent tubing/ventilators, hospital beds electronic, wheel chairs, ET tubes, ultrasound machines and anesthesia machines, cardiac cath sets.    

What we will NOT send: 

1.Equipment and/or supplies with radioactive material 

2.Medications and controlled substances. 

3.Hazardous material which requires separate clearance and which can lead to unnecessary delay at customs.      

If any additional information is needed, please feel free to contact 

Shahid Sheikh

APPNA-Ohio SWDRC