The following entries were written by 2018 Impact Trip team member, Pat Shepherd. She is an Administrative Director at Sutter Health and leads Sutter’s Supply Chain Services for their Bay Area Operating Unit. She has been a tireless advocate for MedShare’s mission and has established an infrastructure within Sutter in support of our hospital recovery program. This is Pat’s first Impact Trip with MedShare. See her last post here.
San Carlos
On this final day of our trip we visited Ingenious San Carlos, where there is a sugar cane factory, a hospital, and school all run by the sugar factory management.
We were honored during a ceremony where wheelchairs were distributed to those with severe neurological or ambulatory disorders. The gratefulness expressed by the recipients and their families was overwhelming and brought us to tears. Some had wheelchairs that were extremely old and falling apart and others had no wheelchairs at all – their family members had to carry them around. A device that is so common and easily obtainable in the US was a treasure to these patients!
We later toured the hospital and school supported and run by the sugar cane factory. An arrangement reminiscent of an old coal mining town in the US about 100 years ago. We had to puzzle through this arrangement too, but clearly the services were high caliber in contrast to the surrounding areas. At the school, we visited the computer lab and witnessed the students learning English and music.
The company-run hospital was clean and organized. We toured the pharmaceutical storeroom and were informed that MedShare had a hand in securing much needed medications.
Heading Home
We are on our way home with time for contemplation. My takeaways were two…. I was completely naive about the complexities of delivering supplies and equipment to underserved populations. To be effective it literally “takes a village”. There are no distribution centers to ship product to, and in fact, there are very few countries where shipping a container is safe. The need for partnerships in recipient countries is essential to both identify the specific needs and to deliver product to the final destination.
My other “aha” was that the benefit of donations can be indirect. The girls school in Alausi is a prime example. Supporting the organization of Junta frees up some of their resources which allows them to create a healthier community by educating girls. One has to take a holistic view.
I am so grateful that I was offered a chance to go on this trip and feel so “wise” for accepting it. “Thank you”, MedShare, for including me.
MedShare 