WHY SUCH WASTE?: 

Government regulations prevent health care facilities from reabsorbing supplies from operating rooms and patient areas back into the system. Everyday, hospitals, nursing homes and other medical facilities throughout the U.S. throw out a tremendous amount of usuable equipment and medical supplies, some still sealed in packaging. These medical supplies can no longer be used in the U.S. but they are of great value to developing countries.

HOW PWH WORKS:

We have partnered with over 85 facilities in Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts to establish recycling programs. We provide recycle bins for each floor and educate the nurses and housekeepers on their use.  In addition, the facilities managers gather large durable medical equipment such as beds and wheelchairs, and PWH volunteers pick everything up weekly.

WHERE DOES IT ALL GO?

The items are taken to a warehouse where they are sorted and processed for shipment to countries in Africa, Southeast Asia and South America. We have identified local hospital representatives in over 20 foreign countries who are responsible for assuring the supplies reach needy urban and rural hospitals and clinics.