WHAT WE DO / PROGRAMS
Medical Equipping
Sustainable and reliable access to medical and surgical supplies, ranging from basic primary care consumables, to advanced diagnostic and treatment hardware, and a wide range of anesthetic and surgical supplies and equipment, is essential to any functioning healthcare system.
The Challenge
Lack of access to essential equipment and supplies is one of the greatest barriers faced by patients and partners in each of our surgical programs. As small countries with limited national production capacities, Bolivia and Paraguay must import a high percentage of medical supplies and equipment. Many items are cost-prohibitive or simply unavailable. Even in public Bolivian hospitals where care is officially free, patients commonly pay for their own diagnostic labs and imaging, and surgery patients are asked to purchase supplies or even rent equipment for their procedures.
Patients often delay care while saving to pay for their supplies or equipment, sometimes allowing their conditions to significantly worsen. Others opt for sub-optimal or riskier procedures. For example, despite the myriad benefits of minimally-invasive techniques over open procedures to treat many conditions, the lack of laparoscopic equipment and instruments may force doctors to perform open surgery. Many patients never receive the surgical care they need because medical professionals do not have the essential equipment and supplies they need for certain procedures.
Interested in donating medical supplies?
Please refer to our Medical Supply Wishlist - developed in collaboration with our Bolivian medical partners.
Our Work
One of the most important ways that we address the above challenges is by procuring and delivering specialized equipment and supplies to Bolivia and Paraguay. We work closely with our local medical and nonprofit partners to identify the most important equipment and supply needs.
Expand Trusted Suppliers
Our primary equipping partner in the U.S. is Hospital Sisters Mission Outreach (HSMO), a Medical Surplus and Recovery Organization (MSRO). HSMO collects products and equipment from hospitals across the Midwest for donation to organizations such as ours. All products are new and in-date, and HSMO’s biomedical engineer certifies the proper functioning of all donated equipment. We also receive donations directly from leading medical product manufacturers and distributors. Donations are shipped to Bolivia and Paraguay in maritime containers or carried with our mission teams.
Optimize Distribution
In Bolivia, donated equipment and supplies are organized in our central warehouse in Cochabamba for targeted distribution. Donations are prioritized for the surgeries performed directly through our programs and other patients screened by our social workers and approved for support. Public hospitals across the country are also eligible to visit our warehouse for supplies. Thanks to our shared inventory system, all donations are barcoded and tracked from the U.S. to their final beneficiaries.
Ongoing Maintenance & Repair
Solidarity Bridge also supports biomedical training and other assistance for ongoing equipment maintenance and repair, and bolsters efforts to diversify and develop alternative sources for long-term sustainable fulfillment of medical supply and equipment needs. The TRIMEDX Foundation has partnered with us since 2018 to bring teams of biomedical engineers to Bolivia and Paraguay to support in the maintenance and repair of equipment. We continue to look for ways to expand these efforts.
Supplies Save Lives
Hilda and her husband sell juice and fruit salads in their local market to support their four children. Their income is barely enough to meet daily needs, so when Hilda needed her gallbladder removed, expensive laparoscopic surgical care appeared out of reach. Using supplies we donated, local physicians who had been trained by our mission teams ten years before were able to give Hilda life-restoring surgery. She was overjoyed to resume her daily routine, free from pain and unburdened by catastrophic medical debt.
Dive Deeper
Healthcare in Crisis: The Impact of Bolivia’s Economic and Political Turmoil
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Surgical Programs Restocked!
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Strengthening Health Systems through Biomedical Engineering
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