Ghana:

We will be sending a container full of supplies and hospital beds to Ghana on March 20, 2010. The contents of the container will go on to furnish a brand new 40-bed hospital ward in the Sene District. The beds are being donated by Medilodge of Southfield and the shipping cost is being covered by approved funding from the Ghanaian government.

Sene District is an area in desperate need of help. The local doctor, Dr. Ofosu, is the sole doctor for nearly 100,000 people. To make that number easier to grasp, that’s like having one doctor for all of the students at the University of Michigan and Michigan State University combined. Currently, Dr. Ofosu operates out of a 10-bed hospital ward. With the help of U2H, the new 40-bed ward should be up and running by next summer.

This shipment is part of our greater commitment to Ghana. Read more about Project Ghana.

Haiti:

We be sending a container full of supplies and equipment to Haiti as soon as possible — likely in October 2010. The container is to be sponsored by Partners in Health, an organization with over 20 years of experience on the ground in Haiti. (Check them out at www.pih.org.)

In the meantime, we are mobilizing volunteers to help in the short-term. First, we are hosting a Haiti Relief Drive, encouraging local community members and students to purchase and donate basic medical supplies that are desperately needed in Haiti. Second, we are partnering with Save Our Women, a local clothing company, to raise funds for Haiti relief by selling “Help Haiti” t-shirts. All proceeds over costs go directly to Partners in Health.