Americares Sending Medical Supplies to Puerto Rico

A Stamford-based relief organization is sending several shipments of much needed medical supplies to Puerto Rico after already responding to the areas recovering from Hurricanes Irma and Harvey.

“It’s really unusual to have three significant hurricanes hit all at the same time in multiple locations,” Americares President and CEO Michael Nyenhuis said, “It has really spread out our team.”

Six Americares team members are already on the ground in Puerto Rico following Hurricane Maria. They are finding out what medical supplies are needed the most.

“But even for them to be able to be in touch with some of the health clinics and hospitals that we work with they have to drive there,” Nyenhuis said. “They have to go over roads that may be blocked.”

There is a big demand for antibiotics, chronic disease medications and insulin for diabetes patients, Americares Director of Media Relations Donna Porstner said.

So far, $10 million in medical supplies have been shipped from the Americares warehouse in Stamford to the areas hit by hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria.

“We have many more shipments planned in fact to Puerto Rico,” Nyenhuis said. “We have three major shipments totaling about ten tons of medicines and supplies that are being readied right now to go.”

Through chartered planes and commercial flights, the shipments will be transported to Puerto Rico and received by staff on the island, Nyenhuis said.

“Gratefully, we have partnerships with about 200 pharmaceutical and medical supply companies that donate products to us,” he said.

Nyenhuis shared the story of a baby on the southern side of the island who required surgery that couldn’t be performed there.

“They had no way to communicate,” Nyenhuis explained because of the widespread power outages. “Our team shows up, we have satellite phones, we were able to get on the phones the hospital in San Juan to make sure everything was fine to send that baby there. They sent the baby there and they got the surgery.”

That is just one example of Americares carrying out its mission of saving lives in areas devastated by natural disasters.

“We are doing the work we are called to do,” Nyenhuis said.

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