Hospital Sisters Mission Outreach has shipped a container of medical supplies and equipment valued at $1 million to Bolivia. The 40-foot shipping container of requested supplies left the Mission Outreach warehouse, 4930 Laverna Road in Springfield, on May 5. This is the most expensive shipment since the medical supply and equipment recovery organization was founded in 2002. The medical items will be distributed and used by Solidarity Bridge and Puente de Solidaridad throughout five Bolivian hospitals.
The average value of a Mission Outreach container shipment is about $400,000. This container is valued significantly higher because it is filled with medical supplies and equipment with a focus on surgical care, including two C-arms – a mobile imaging system that provides real-time, high-resolution X-rays during surgeries — and a surgical microscope. The mission of Solidarity Bridge and Puente de Solidaridad (its sister organization) is to increase access to surgical care for tens of thousands of people across Bolivia and Paraguay.
“Seventy percent of the global population lacks access to surgical care that is safe, affordable and timely,” said Erica Smith, Mission Outreach executive director. “Building infrastructure in health systems means hospitals in low-resource areas will have basic, operational medical equipment for patient care. In the hands of trained surgeons, physicians and clinicians, these medical items save millions of lives globally. Mission Outreach is proud to collaborate with Solidarity Bridge and Puente to help all Bolivians receive the surgical care they need.”
