MedShare’s donation of medical supplies and biomedical equipment to the Democratic Republic of Congo will strengthen health systems in the country. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE / PRURGENT
ATLANTA, Georgia (February 21, 2019). – MedShare, an Atlanta-based humanitarian aid organization dedicated to global health, in partnership with Global Ministries and the Reed Foundation, have donated lifesaving medical supplies and biomedical equipment to several Methodist hospitals and healthcare communities in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The supplies and equipment are serving over 50,000 patients in North Katanga, South and Central Democratic Republic of Congo.
Lifesaving Impact
Serving low-income communities, the receiving hospitals lack the resources to provide the quality care their patients need. MedShare’s donation of critical supplies and equipment will provide healthcare professionals with the tools they need to save lives and improve the quality of care available to patients in the Democratic Republic of Congo. This donation will also significantly off-set the receiving hospitals’ budgets, allowing them to purchase other essential items in their own community. Among the items donated are 100 hospital beds, unopened, unused, and unexpired medical supplies, and high-quality biomedical equipment, including baby warmers, incubators, anesthesia machines, operating tables, and an electro-surgical unit. This kind of state of the art equipment is sorely lacking in developing countries. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 70% of medical equipment donations in Sub-Saharan Africa are unusable and inadequate. MedShare’s donations will work to solve that problem.
“We are proud to partner with community leaders like Global Ministries and The Reed Foundation that make it a priority to give back, both locally and globally. Their ongoing support of our mission speaks volumes about both organizations’ commitment to quality healthcare for all,” said Charles Redding, MedShare CEO & President. “This donation will build healthcare capacity for the communities we serve in the Democratic Republic of Congo and strengthen Congolese health systems for years to come.”
Glen Reed, Founder and President of the Reed Family Foundation and a founding MedShare Board member, said “An estimated 70% of Congolese people have little or no access to quality healthcare. Many suffer because hospitals and clinics lack equipment and critical supplies like gloves, catheters, and sterile needles. Our foundation is dedicated to reaching the most needy populations. This partnership supports our mission and the belief-in-action of the United Methodist Church and its members in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.”
Dr. Olusimbo Ige, Executive Director of the Global Health Unit of Global Ministries, added, “We recognize that several factors must work together for global health efforts to succeed. We need health facilities, committed doctors and nurses, lifesaving medicine, critical supplies and equipment to facilitate healing. We are excited at this opportunity to strengthen UMC mission hospitals in DR Congo with the essential equipment and supplies they need to provide health services to their communities.”
MedShare has delivered more than $7.3 million worth of medical supplies and biomedical equipment to healthcare facilities across the Democratic Republic of Congo. These donations have served more than 600,000 patients in medically underserved communities and strengthened healthcare capacity in hospitals in the country.
About MedShare
MedShare is a 501c(3) humanitarian aid organization dedicated to improving the quality of life of people, communities, and our planet by sourcing and directly delivering surplus medical supplies and equipment to communities in need around the world. MedShare’s programmatic approach addresses specific health challenges through its Primary Care Program, Maternal & Child Health Program, Disaster Relief Program, Infectious Disease Control & Prevention Program, and Biomedical Equipment Training & Repair Service. For more than 20 years MedShare has strengthened global healthcare and supported sustainable development in low-resource communities. For more information, please visit the organization’s website at www.medshare.org.
About Global Ministries
The General Board of Global Ministries (Global Ministries), the global mission agency of The United Methodist Church, connects 12 million United Methodists in over 100 countries—through people, projects, and partnerships. Together we are alleviating suffering, promoting justice, freedom, and peace. The Global Health Unit (GHU), is a ministry of the General Board of Global Ministries. To achieve Global Ministries’ vision of abundant health for all, the GHU supports efforts to protect children and disadvantaged adults from preventable causes of death and disease in economically vulnerable communities.
About The Reed Foundation
The Reed Foundation is a private family foundation in Atlanta with a primary focus on strengthening healthcare services available to international communities in extreme poverty as defined by the World Bank, working in partnership with other organizations.
### | 
