- January 26, 2009 - The recent fighting in Gaza has injured approximately 5,300 people, forced tens of thousands into shelters and destroyed entire neighborhoods. There is no doubt that the need for quality medical donations will be substantial in the coming months. The Partnership for Quality Medical Donations (PQMD) members have sent 7 shipments valued at $6.4 million to the area, including several 40 foot containers containing products such as; vitamins, blood packs, sutures, exam tables, wound care supplies, antibiotics, asthma supplies, beds, skin cares supplies, and other high priority products and pharmaceuticals. One container alone held $1.3 Million worth of supplies.

Members are working with in country organizations such as The Egyptian Red Cross, ANERA, and the Order of St. Johns as well as their own in country experts, to ensure the products are distributed appropriately.

PQMD is dedicated to the development, dissemination and adherence to high standards in the delivery of medical products to under-served people and disaster victims around the world. PQMD members include many of the world’s largest international humanitarian organizations, pharmaceutical companies and medical product manufacturers. In 2007 PQMD members donated pharmaceutical and medical products valued at $4.2 Billion dollars to improve healthcare in developing countries and assistance to disaster victims. The PQMD Mapping Tool, available online at www.pqmd.org, provides public information about where and how donations are used.
Donations are searchable by location, donor, recipient, and shipment type.

Frequently, during emergencies, aid organizations and local governments receive large quantities of medical product donations from well intentioned donors. Often, those donations are inappropriate for the needs of the community, leaving the affected area with thousands of unsuitable and ineffective donations to dispose of, causing waste and environmental problems, and adding an additional and unnecessary burden on the medical staff. The PQMD Donor Guide provides a checklist for individuals and corporations who want to give, recommending that donors look for an organization with; institutional memory, pharmacological experience, established relationships with government, established relationships with other NGOs, and strong field presence.

If you or your organization is interested in donating medical product to those affected in Gaza, PQMD recommends visiting www.pqmd.org. There you can access free training and information about PQMD NGO and corporate members who are working in the area.

PQMD member organizations independently support diverse efforts and are involved in various aspects of the donation, delivery and distribution of medical products. These include assisting victims of natural disasters to building sustainable healthcare services for underserved populations. Some PQMD members are involved in programs to combat specific diseases, while others secure critical supplies for under-resourced clinics and hospitals around the world. Initiatives may target specific populations such as refugees and displaced people, while others focus on children, mothers or whole communities within a region. Although PQMD members are involved in projects that vary in scope and purpose, they share a common vision - advancing the quality of medical product donations worldwide.

Partnership for Quality Medical Donations, The

Partnership for Quality Medical Donations, The

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