FAQ
| General |
| 1. Why are medical supplies needed? |
| The U.S. healthcare system discards over $9 billion of medical surplus every year: materials that are past sterile date, materials opened by never used, working equipment replaced by newer technology. These materials sit in warehouses or find their way to landfills. Meanwhile, in poorer nations standard medical materials like surgical gloves and sutures are too precious to throw away. The surplus that is an environmental and economic burden in the United States can provide immeasurable hope and healing overseas. (Back to top) |
| 2. Do you accept donations of medicine? |
| No, MediSend International does not accept donations of pharmaceuticals. (Back to top) |
| 3. How long does it take a shipment to reach its destination? |
| Shipment times vary according to the destination. A shipment to Central America can take as few as three weeks, whereas a shipment to Asia can take up to two and a half months to arrive. (Back to top) |
| 4. Is it possible to sponsor a shipment and help pack the shipment? |
| Yes! MediSend International encourages sponsors to be involved in the shipping process. Often sponsors are helping institutions in their homeland and want to be involved from the application process to the packing process. (Back to top) |
| 5. Who are some of the global sponsors and strategic partners of MediSend International? |
| ExxonMobil, Es-tech, Inc. (ESI), PEMEX, BHPBilliton, Tenet Health Care, Save the Children, World Health Organization, UNDP, International Red Cross, National Freight, Texas State Technical College, University of Texas at Arlington School of Nursing. (Back to top) |
| 6. Where is MediSend International located? |
MediSend International's office is located at: (Back to top) |
| 7. How do volunteers help MediSend International? |
| Volunteers provide many thousands of hours of work sorting and packing supplies and helping in the office. Last year, volunteers donated over 10,000 hours of their time! (Back to top) |
| 8. How do I volunteer to help MediSend International? |
| To help sort and pack supplies at our warehouse contact Winifred Rutenbar at 214-575-5006 . (Back to top) |
| 9. How do I donate money? |
You can donate by credit card by following this link. (Back to top) |
| 10. Is MediSend International a non-profit organization? |
| Yes! MediSend International is a 501 (c) (3) organization. (Back to top) |
| 11. How does MediSend International know what to send? |
| An application form determines the needs and the requisite infrastructure available to support the equipment. MediSend International sends only what the recipient can use and what they can maintain. (Back to top) |
| 12. What countries does MediSend International ship to? |
| MediSend International has sent shipments of medical supplies to more that 80 nations from Angola to Indonesia to Afghanistan. (Back to top) |
| 13. To whom does MediSend International send supplies? |
| MediSend International sends shipments to qualified institutions qualified institutions that serve indigent populations, such as public or charity hospitals. (Back to top) |
| 14. What is the value of supplies in a forty-foot container? |
| Approximately $500,000 - $800,000 AWP (Average Wholesale Price). (Back to top) |
| 15. How much does it cost to sponsor a container of medical supplies and equipment? |
MediSend relies on the benevolence of sponsors to subsidize the overhead and operating expenses such as recovery, warehousing, packaging and distribution. Sponsors of medical shipments include individuals and groups, community organizations, faith-based organizations, foundations and corporations. Sponsorship donation levels to prepare and ship Containers of Hope are as follows:
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| 16. Where does MediSend International get its medical supplies & equipment? |
| Hospitals, doctors, manufacturers, individuals, nursing homes and other institutions all around the United States donate the supplies. (Back to top) |
| 17. How much of each dollar goes to support the programs of MediSend? |
| 92% of each dollar raised is spent in the collection and distribution of medical supplies and equipment. (Back to top) |
| 18. How does MediSend International work? |
| MediSend International manages the collection of usable medical supplies and equipment and distributes those supplies to qualified institutions in developing countries. (Back to top) |
| 19. Why was MediSend International founded? |
| MediSend International was founded in 1990 by Dr. Martin Lazar, a Dallas neurosurgeon, who was both morally and professionally compelled to respond to the discrepancy between the resources of healthcare facilities in the developing world and those in the United States. (Back to top) |
| 20. How does MediSend International know the shipment has arrived safely? |
| MediSend International always has an assigned consignee that handles the arrival of the shipment. This is necessary to ensure that the containers pass through customs and the contents are delivered to the institution in an expeditious fashion. (Back to top) |
214-575-5006