Tenet Healthcare Corporation has selected Dallas-based, humanitarian organization, MediSend International, to partner in an innovative program to decommission biomedical equipment for redeployment to hospitals and clinics in developing countries.
"MediSend's humanitarian programs in poor countries allow equipment that we are cycling out of our system to have continued value and to provide ongoing relief to healthcare systems in
desperate need," said Steve Brown, CIO of Tenet Healthcare Corporation and member of the MediSend Advisory Board. "In addition, MediSend has streamlined the decommissioning process and
given it accountability. We can track and monitor the movement of every piece of donated equipment from our hospitals to the receiving hospital or clinic in a developing country."
The first project of the ongoing partnership is Tenet's commitment of up to 1,000 beds for distribution to maternity and pediatric hospitals, and clinics where patients often have to
sleep on the floor or where infants sleep several to a bed. Beds have already been shipped to MediSend partner hospitals in Angola, Equatorial Guinea, Kazakhstan, Columbia, India and
Bangladesh, with additional shipments scheduled throughout 2008.
Prior to shipping, the hospital beds are fully reconditioned and converted to the recipient country's electrical systems in the MediSend Biomedical Repair Laboratory. MediSend's
Biomedical Repair Training Program, sponsored by the ExxonMobil Foundation, provides select candidates from developing countries with the critical skills necessary to maintain and repair
life-saving biomedical equipment when they return home. As part of the training program, trainees often work on equipment that will be shipped to hospitals and clinics in their own
countries.
"The partnering of MediSend's and Tenet's common goals has produced, sustainable and life-saving benefits for people in dire need in some of the world's poorest countries," said Nick
Hallack, President and CEO of MediSend International adding, "Tenet's continuing commitment is providing hope and healing to families worldwide. The partnership is a perfect example of
social responsibility at work."
About MediSend International
MediSend International is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, humanitarian organization that provides medical aid and education to people in need in developing countries worldwide. MediSend's global
mission includes educational and training programs in biomedical technologies and the distribution of medical supplies and biomedical equipment in long-term and disaster relief programs.