and take any used material they needed as new hospitals were being built. Womack says
hospital beds are one of the most important donated items, as patients in third world
countries will often have to lay on the floor awaiting treatment.
But, donations don’t have to be as large as beds or stretchers. Even local families can
donate crutches and write it off their taxes. The important thing is that supplies reach
the hands of those who need them.
“A political representative from Ecuador visited recently. He toured the warehouse and
when he saw we had oxygenators, he actually began to cry. We had five available and
his hospital only had one that two small children were forced to share until one passed
away. The man immediately requested all five,” Womack said.
Supplying foreign countries with medical items can be a lengthy process. An individual
or group of representatives will contact SOS and fill out an application. Then the two
groups collaborate to discover what exactly is available for delivery. “It can be difficult
to get the particulars correct,” said Womack.
First, the larger things are decided, such as beds, stretchers, operating room lights,
etc. Then, the smaller supplies. Pallets of gauze and most medical instruments fall into
this category. From there, SOS works to fill any remaining room in the container with
supplies from the country’