International (MNN) — GE Healthcare and International Aid have
just announced a strategic partnership. International Aid's Myles Fish says GE
is donating used medical equipment, and International Aid is distributing it. "They
want to be sure that the equipment is getting into the hands of people who know
how to use it and that we'll provide spare parts and training on
how to repair it if it breaks down. In exchange for that service, they've
chosen us to be the exclusive recipient of their used equipment."
During its 2006 fiscal year, International Aid shipped
nearly 1,400 donated therapeutic and diagnostic devices to needy communities
worldwide. Its related equipment-training program has trained nearly 500
technicians from 18 countries to maintain and repair an array of medical
devices. As part of its work, International Aid maintains what it believes to
be the world's most extensive database of product operation manuals for donated
medical equipment.
International Aid will coordinate the transport of GE
Healthcare's donated equipment from the company's Wisconsin-based facilities to
International Aid's headquarters facility in Spring Lake, Mich. There, a dedicated International Aid team will refurbish the equipment for
distribution overseas and manage all related, logistical arrangements.
Among the pieces of equipment they'll be receiving are
previously-used anesthesia machines, ventilators, maternal and infant care
equipment, as well as patient monitors and ultrasound systems.
Their hope is that the equipment will open doors into
difficult fields. "We have a shipment
leaving this month that's on its way to equip a hospital in North Korea. Nobody gets to North Korea,
but because we have this equipment, we've been invited to participate with them
in addressing a tuberculosis problem."
Fish explains their larger purpose. "Our bias is to
support those organizations that share our commitment to the Lord. We'll use this equipment as a form of ministry to reach people in their
communities. Having this increase in the
supply of equipment is just going to magnify the impact."
