Haiti: Baxter Helps Direct Relief Respond With $1.7 M in Medical Products
Critically needed antibiotics and hydration solutions headed for Partners In Health, St. Damien Pediatric Hospital
SANTA BARBARA, CA (February 3, 2010) – In response to the 7.0-magnitude earthquake that struck Haiti on January 12, Deerfield, Illinois-based Baxter International Inc. donated medical products valued at $1.7 million to Direct Relief International for immediate use by hospitals and clinics caring for people injured in the quake.
Direct Relief has already supplied over $20 million in specifically requested medical material aid to partners in Haiti responding to the earthquake, and over $50 million to the country since 2000.
Baxter’s donation includes a variety of strengths, sizes and types of injectable antibiotics and rehydration solutions, both in high need for the large numbers of injured.
"From what we’ve seen in Haiti during the last three weeks, these supplies are desperately needed for the doctors and other medical professionals who are treating patients," said Direct Relief’s Emergency Response Director Brett Williams, who is managing Direct Relief’s response in Haiti. "This will replenish their resources, which are rapidly dwindling."
The supplies, packaged in six large shipping containers, were sent to Direct Relief’s longtime partners in country which include Partners In Health (PIH) and St. Damien Pediatric Hospital, both in Port-au-Prince. In addition to its Port-au-Prince temporary facility, PIH runs nine health centers across the nation.
Baxter also facilitated the donation of end-to-end transportation of the goods from its multiple warehouses to Port-au-Prince with the help of ocean carrier, Trailer Bridge, Inc. (Nasdaq:TRBR). This donation of transportation and trailers by Trailer Bridge saved Direct Relief time in transit and funds that would have otherwise been spent on shipping.
For more information about Baxter’s overall contributions to Haiti relief efforts, please visit www.baxter.com.
About Direct Relief International
Founded in 1948, Direct Relief is a Santa Barbara, California-based nonprofit organization focused on improving quality of life by bringing critically needed medicines and supplies to local healthcare providers worldwide. Direct Relief has provided more than $1 billion in privately funded humanitarian aid since 2000, including more than $150 million in assistance in the United States. It has earned a fundraising efficiency score of 99 percent or better from Forbes for the past eight years, and is ranked by the Chronicle of Philanthropy as California’s largest international nonprofit organization based on private support. For more information, please visit www.DirectRelief.org.
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