Assist International

Orphans Receive Shoes

2009-11-10T12:51:00.000-08:00

Hundreds of orphans at AOET villages in Uganda received much needed footwear this past fall. The young students received dress shoes for school and a pair of athletic shoes for play.

The dress shoes were donated by Stacy Adams, the makers of classic footwear styles. The athletic shoes were donated by END footwear, the environmentally sport shoe. Soles4Souls facilitated the donation.

Many of the shoes that the children were wearing were completely filthy with bald soles and split sides. The children were extremely excited to have new shoes, some were moved to the point of tears.

Assist International would like to thank our friends at Soles4Souls to help us receive the shoes. We would also like to thank END Footwear and Stacy Adams Footwear for their generous donations.

Medical Project in Cuba

2009-10-12T16:22:00.000-07:00

In September, volunteers and members of Assist International completed a medical project at the William Solar Teaching Hospital in Havana, Cuba. The Pentecostal Assemblies of Cuba, a group of 3,000 churches, invited AI to do this project for children in Cuba. The most critically ill children are sent to this hospital for treatment.

The hospital was fully equipped with Intensive Care and Critical Care equipment. With generous donations from GE, Assist International provided six new full perimeter cardiac care monitors and six “step down” monitors for post surgical care. Other equipment donated and installed included two ventilators, an echocardiography ultrasound, a general ultrasound, two baby warmers, two incubators and six oak wood bassinets. Training, medical supplies and accessories were also provided.

The staff at William Solar Teaching Hospital are very excited for these recent additions to lift the hospital to a new level of health care. The doctors and nurses are outstanding caretakers and fully dedicated in their work.

Clean Water Well Project in Uganda

2009-09-01T11:32:00.000-07:00

A well was drilled in May at an AOET village near Jinja, Uganda. In July, members of Assist International joined members of AOET and Rotary International in a dedication of the well.

Potable drinking water (below) flows from the pressure tank during the dedication. The well will provide clean water for over 400 orphans and other family members in the village. Bob and Charlene Pagett (2nd below) stand outside the building that house the storage tanks.

A diagram of the type of well drilled at the AOET village

Medical Project in Jinja, Uganda

2009-08-24T16:56:00.000-07:00

In August, a brand new state of the art ICU monitoring system was installed at the Jinja Regional Referral Hospital in Uganda. Jinja Hospital the largest hospital in eastern Uganda, serving roughly 4 million people. The hospital has a bed capacity of 600, although many more patients are admitted, with some sleeping on the floor.

Members of Assist International were joined by GE Medical to help with the installation and training for the medical staff of the hospital. GE Medical also completely upgraded the surgical theaters with new equipment.

Shoes Delivered to Orphans in Uganda

2009-06-29T13:28:00.000-07:00

Executive director, Tim Reynolds handed out shoes earlier this month to orphans in Bugembe, Uganda, near Jinja. More shoes are on their way to the village so that each child has a pair of shoes in his or her size.

The shoes were donated by END Footwear to Soles4Souls, a partner of Assist International. Soles4Souls facilitates the donations of shoes, which are used to aid the hurting worldwide. They have a mission to impact the world with the gift of shoes.

Felix Family Village Thailand

2009-06-16T14:40:00.000-07:00

A letter from Caminul Felix Villages, Thailand:

Dear Friends!

What joy it is to write to you again. We have big news to tell you about the inauguration of Felixbyn May 8-10, a weekend we will all remember with great joy and gratitude. That this happened during the rain and monsoon period was proved by the evidence, when the storm broke out just before the flower decorated bands in the village would be cut. Children, parents and guests gathered under a tent that was set for the day. The rain eventually was over, and the party could begin. Several speeches were made, and again we were reminded of the great miracle we could see this day, by being able to open the four homes. It all began with a vision a few years ago to provide a mother, father and family to the lonely and abandoned Children.

The local mayor was there along with national and international leaders and guests. Along with one of our children, the mayor cut the ribbon to the Felix Village and the four homes. The Felix families showed their gratitude for the homes built by funds from private donors and the magazine Varlden Idag. Donors attending were Margareta and Jarl Josefsson and Jonas Adolfsson from the newspaper Varlden Idag. The Jim Sankey family from USA, who built two of the houses, was represented by Felix Caminul International Foundations Chairman, Bob Pagett from the U.S.

It was nice to see little Firn, dressed in a white dress for the day. Together with the Mayor and Bob Pagett, she cut the ribbon to the Felix Village and to her home. She was the first girl who moved in with family K with her brother Frank. What a joy it was to see her happy and pleased with her new parents and siblings!

After the ribbon was cut, the visitors greeted the different families. It was a day on which all enjoyed and delighted. We were invited to Thai snacks and drinks. A slide show was displayed that showed the different steps of the Felix Village from start to where it is today.

Thanks to all of you who sent a love gift to the inauguration. It meant a lot to us, to know that you are with us in the work. Thank you for your gift!

Olanchito, Honduras

2009-05-07T16:48:00.000-07:00

Executive Director Tim Reynolds helps build a cement pad for a building that will protect a water filter for the Hospital in Olanchito.

Assist International members also installed a pressure gauge that collects data on the water systems to help complete the design of the new filters.

Darfur School Completed

2009-03-17T13:41:00.000-07:00

A teacher stands outside her classroom

With over 36,000 inhabitants, the majority of them Darfurians, the Deraige IDP camp houses thousands of children seeking refuge from the war-torn countryside. Families forced to flee their homes see the IDP as a temporary situation, but with the continued genocide in Darfur, many of the internally displaced children will end up spending their entire childhood in the camp.

In partnership with EDOOS (Educational Development Organization of Sudan), Assist International helped lay the ground work for two additional schools built in the Deraige IDP camp. The project required the hiring of local residents (men and women) to work with the contractors which boosted the local economy and instilled the community with a sense of community ownership.

The additional classrooms will allow continued education for children in primary school to complete all five primary grades, which is the minimum period required for achieving basic literacy.

Adidas Giveaway

2009-03-17T09:28:00.000-07:00

Assist International sent boxes of gear, donated by Adidas to orphans of Abokobi, Ghana. Here are some pictures of the youths sporting their new tops, bottoms and shoes.

Otino-Waa Children's Village

2009-02-10T11:09:00.000-08:00

Africa is very beautiful and majestic but it can also be dangerous, especially to the children who have been victims of civil war. They have become orphans and refugees in their own country. The squalor of refugee camps have now given way to a new home, The Otino-Waa Children's village.

Established in 2003 by Path Ministries, Otino-Waa Children's Village is located in Lira and means "our children" in the Luo language. It is home to boys and girls, ages 5-18 and is a place of safety, learning and healing. It offers family, protection, housing, education, health and spiritual guidance to orphaned children.

The twenty acre compound contains circles of homes for eight kids, with a widowed "house mom." This home environment recreates a family unit where care and love can be shared. The children have on site school, medical treatment, vocational training, sports, nutrition and 24 hour security.

Here is a video of the planning, the constructing, the sacrifice and the love that went into one home at Otino-Waa. This project coordinated by Assist International, led a group from Vintage Faith Church in Santa Cruz, CA to the heart of Uganda to make a difference.

Progress in Darfur School

2008-11-26T10:45:00.000-08:00

The building of the school in the IDP camp is proceeding on schedule despite a few difficulties. The school will open in January to students in kindergarten, first grade and second grade.

Part of the plan has been to employ local people for their sakes and to boost the local economy. The women have also joined the labor force which is very unusual in Sudan. It has been a blessing for them to receive a salary and great for their families.

School being built in Darfur IDP Camp

2008-11-05T11:26:00.000-08:00

Assist International team member Steve Savelich recently returned from the Southern Darfur region of Sudan, where he stayed in one of the IDP camps near the city of Nyala.

The IDP camps house around 36,000 inhabitants with thousands of children seeking refuge from the war-torn countryside. Families forced to flee their homes see the IDP as a temporary situation, but with the continued genocide in Darfur, many of the internally displaced children will end up spending their entire childhood in the camp.

Steve met with EDOOS (Educational Development Organization of Sudan), a local NGO that has started a school in the camp in order to give the children access to education and provide stability in their lives during this time of fear and uncertainty.

Initially working with 180 children in different classes, EDOOS was able to build two additional, temporary classrooms in 2007 to allow for a total of 259 children. In February 2008, at the end of the academic year, 212 of the 259 children had been advanced to the next class level. However, more schools, classrooms and teachers are needed to fulfill the growing demand.

With the approval to build another school in the camp, Assist and EDOOS began construction this fall. The school should be completed by the middle of December and it will hold over 300 children. There will be classrooms for kids in Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd grades, with an additional grade added each year until elementary education is fully functioning for all grades.

Water Filters in Honduras

2008-08-27T13:58:00.000-07:00

Here is a picture of one of the pressure boosting pumps that was installed at the Gracias Lempira Hospital in Honduras. They will boost the water pressure coming from our filter units into the hospital.

In March, Assist International sent a team to construct buildings to house the water filters that were donated by GE technology. They will supply clean drinking water to the hospitals in Gracias Lempira and La Esperanza.

Assist International and GE Send Water Purification Systems to China

2008-08-19T11:43:00.000-07:00

Assist International and GE worked together to send three water purification systems to aid victims of the May 12 earthquake that devastated the region of Sichuan Province, in central China. The water filtration systems were specifically earmarked for installation in small villages in the mountainous region near Chengdu, the provincial capital of Sichuan Province. They will ensure safe drinking water for students and villagers struggling to cope with the effects of the earthquake.

"It doesn't matter where you come from or what language you speak, the tragedy in Sichuan Province was felt by billions around the world," said Assist International President Bob Pagett. "The pictures carried by the news into all of our homes touched a raw nerve ... we will never forget the anguish on the faces of the parents who learned their family members were killed in the earthquake," Pagett said.

One system was installed for a Kindergarten Facility; one installed in a local high school; and one provided for the villagers in a community center. All together, the three systems will give fresh potable water to thousands of Sichaun Province residents for many years to come.

"Our hearts go out to all the victims and their families for enduring one of the worst natural disasters in recent memory. In addition to other aid supplies and in conjunction with our partners at GE, we hope that these water purification systems will provide some measure of relief to those working to repair their damaged homes and communities," Pagett said.

Caminul Felix Updates

2008-06-19T10:18:00.000-07:00

The Choir

The Romanian Caminul Felix choir tour in Scandinavia was a success. The families got to meet and fellowship with many churches and good friends throughout the tour. We would like to thank Roland Nelsson and Lennart Larsson who planned the concerts and made the trip possible. The kids had a great time and they will remember this experience for life.

Thailand

Our sister village in Thailand is growing. There are three families now having received new children. We see the finest Thai leaders emerge with great integrity. Our friends Gunilla and Johan Akterhed are the hands, heart and mind of this worthwhile project. We ask for your prayers and support for the new families in Thailand.

For more information or to receive our monthly newsletter, email your address to llhornberg@aol.com. Write "e-mail update" on the subject space.

Medical Project in China Completed

2008-05-29T14:01:00.000-07:00

The Taojing County Hospital in China is a referral hospital to 850,000 people who reside in the city and to thousands of people who reside in the geographic area surrounding Taojing. Assist International provided six GE 4000 Dash Cardiac Care Monitors, one GE CIC Pro Clinical Information Center, six GE Dinamap Pro Care "step down" monitors and one LOGIQ 5 Pro Echocardiography Ultrasound.

The 4000 Dash monitors will measure vitals signs of the patients including ecg, respiration, temperature, non invasive blood pressure and oxygen in the blood, necessary information to keep the patients in the Intensive Care/Critical Care Department alive. It will change what some have called a "room of death" into a "room of life", a worthy Rotary Project.

Along with the equipment, Assist International provided an extensive training program for doctors and nurses on the use of the equipment and extensive training to the biomedical engineers of the hospital on the maintenance of the equipment. Manuals were provided as well to the departments affected by this project.

Soles4Souls partners with Assist International

2008-03-27T13:44:00.000-07:00

Soles4Souls partnered with Assist International to donate over 2,000 pairs of shoes to poor families in Romania.

Soles4Souls, a non-profit based in Nashville, TN facilitates the donations of shoes, which are used to aid the hurting worldwide. The organization has distributed more than three million pairs of shoes since January 2005 (or one pair of shoes every 28 seconds).

Assist International has been involved with relief efforts in Romania since 1990. One of the projects that AI has been involved with is the building of the Caminul Felix villages, a place where orphaned or abandoned children join a loving family and find community. All of the children and adults in the Caminul Felix villages were delighted to receive the new shoes.

"They were so grateful for the gift of such quality shoes," stated Bob Pagett, the President of Assist International. "You can’t imagine the blessing that these shoes were and are to the children and poor adults of Romania."

Senator Radu Tirle, one of 35 Parliament members in Romania, helped distribute some of the other shoes to children from poor families in two of the poorest villages in Bihor County.

“I just cannot explain the sweet spirit of these meetings, the joy of the people receiving these shoes,” said Senator Tirle. "The people have told me of their struggles of sending their children to school due to a lack of financial resources. They were so grateful to receive shoes for their children."

The Shoes also went to at least 55 churches who distributed them to the poor and needy. Some shoes went to a Mental Hospital for Children, some to Romanian shelters and others to the city jail in Oradea. Bob Pagett said that no shoes were left over and every pair donated was used for someone in need.

"Each distribution has a story. If over 2,000 pairs of shoes were donated, there are 2,000 stories of appreciation," he said.

Abandoned Children in China receive some "California Sunshine"

2008-01-30T16:18:00.000-08:00

No one knows for sure how many children are abandoned each year in China. We do know that the abandonment of children in China has surged, in part due to the one-child population control policy and in part due to policies restricting adoption by Chinese couples who are not childless. Chinese official records fail to account for most of the country’s abandoned infants and children, only a small proportion of whom are in any form of acknowledged state care.

The Human Rights Watch has reported that the majority of abandoned children in China never reach the dubious security of a state-run orphanage. Many are sent instead to general-purpose state institutions, where they are confined indiscriminately with the mentally ill, disabled, elderly, and mentally disturbed adults. Many institutions, including some in major cities, appeared to be operating as little more than assembly lines for the elimination of unwanted orphans, with an annual turnover of admissions and deaths far exceeding the number of beds available. The enormous loss of life occurring in China’s orphanages and other children’s institutions calls for immediate action by the international community.

The California Sunshine Foundation

The California Sunshine Foundation is a new charity dedicated to abandoned Chinese children with a mission dedicated to preparing Chinese orphans for a healthy, loving and productive life through nurturing, medical care and education. With education as the primary focus, CSF volunteers has helped orphans improve in vocabulary, fine motor skills, creativity, behavior and social skills and reasoning. The medical care that CSF provides have helped children stand, walk and hear. These medical interventions provide the first step necessary to make it possible for these children to begin to reach their potential.

Last November, the CSF held it's first board of directors meeting. Bob Pagett of Assist International has volunteered to be on the board and he is joined by Daniel Brown of Coastlands, Richard Starr of Exquisite Designs Corporation, and California natives Brad and Emily Bauer and Scott and Judene Irvine. The board discussed the efforts that are currently underway to improve the lives of abandoned children in two local institutions and explored several ways in which CSF could impact the lives of children on a long-term basis.

The progress of the California Sunshine Foundation has made great strides in their first three terms, which was accomplished largely by volunteers. As the charity transitions into an even more robust, education program in September 2008, a financial foundation of $100,000 will be necessary to hire and train full-time, qualified teachers and project managers.

To make a donation through Assist International, please designate your gift for "Abandoned and Orphaned Children of China" by indicating in the memo section of your check. 100% of the funds go directly to the benefit of the children.

Assist International

P.O. Box 66396
Scotts Valley, CA 95067

New School in Uganda

2008-01-10T14:51:00.000-08:00

Assist International has partnered with AOET (Action for Empowerment) in building a brand new High School in Uganda. The school is being constructed in Jinja on the Nierru side of the Nile River. Workers are moving at fast pace and making very good process. More details coming soon.

2008-01-10T14:37:00.000-08:00

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Pediatric Teaching Hospital in Pecs, Hungary

2007-12-14T16:04:00.000-08:00

The Pediatric Teaching Hospital in Pécs, Hungary is the regional children’s and teaching hospital for the southwestern region of Hungary. The city of Pécs has a population of over 160,000 people and the surrounding areas totals over 1 million residents. In 2006 the hospital had 7,113 in-patients and 51,671 out-patients. The hospitals areas of specialty include neurology, psychiatry, oncohematology, gastroenterology, endocrinology, urology, genetic disorders, and pediatric immunology. The hospital also has a pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) and a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).

The Pediatric Teaching Hospital has well trained doctors and nurses with training comparable to that found in the US. The hospital currently has a staff of 34 doctors and 125 nurses. The hospital is a non-profit hospital open to all children, including the poor and needy. As a pediatric teaching hospital it deals with the most severely ill children in southwest Hungary. The hospital is requesting a major equipment upgrade to its Pediatric Intensive Care unit/Critical Care Department. The doctors and medical professionals understand the latest in patient monitoring technology but lack the equipment. Consequently, the staff is unable to diagnose and properly treat many of the severely ill children who are brought to the hospital.

Project Scope

The project will include the donation and installation of medical equipment to the hospital and a training program to teach hospital personnel how to properly use and maintain the equipment. The medical team from Assist International will include volunteer nurses and biomedical engineers who will install the equipment and provide 3-4 days of training.
All equipment will be warranted by Assist International for one year.

Project Equipment

Neonatal ICU:
8 – Full parameter monitor systems with central station w/ECG/Resp., SpO2, Temp., NBP, IBP (DASH 3000/4000)

3 monitors in one room

4 monitors in another room

1 step down

2 – Infant incubators

2 – Baby warmers

Pediatric ICU:

5 – Patient monitors, portable w/ECG/Resp., SpO2, Temp., NBP (DASH 3000 or Dinamap Pro 1000)

1 – Cardiac ultrasound

1 – Pediatric ventilator

Optional:

2 – Bilirubin blankets

Medical supplies

St. Istvan Hospital Burn Center Project

2007-12-14T15:09:00.000-08:00

St. Istvan (St. Steven) Hospital is located in Budapest, Hungary. It is strategic in both location and the scope of care it provides as a regional hospital. This 800 bed hospital complex is comprised of many departments including the Burn Center. The Burn Center provides care for those in the mid-Hungary region, but it also is the location where all critical adult burn patients throughout Hungary are brought.

The hospital is in a very critical situation. In the midst of budgetary problems from a weak Hungarian economy, St. Istvan now has to absorb the patients and medical needs of another nearby hospital forced to limit its care within this large city. Despite the difficult and seemingly hopeless conditions the medical personnel continue to persevere for the care of their patients. They maintain the importance of a clean environment and are personally committed to this cause. Recently the doctors took a collection from within their ranks to raise money for painting the rooms and hallways. They then went on to do the work themselves. This is representative of the level of care they desire to provide.

Unfortunately they lack the means to purchase the necessary equipment needed for a regional burn center. With only four working patient monitors, two functioning anesthesia machines, one fluidization bed, and two ventilators, they endeavor to provide the care that is expected of them. There is little hope that the government will be able to provide additional funding in the future and so it is imperative that the hospital receive assistance from other sources.

Project Scope

Project Equipment

6 – Cardiac Monitors on Roll Stands as follows.

4 Step Down Monitors w/ ECG, NBP, SpO2 (Dinamap Pro 1000)

2 Full Parameter Monitors w/ECG, NBP, SpO2, IBP, Temp, CO, CO2 (DASH 3000/4000)

2 – Defibrillators - The hospital has only one defibrillator and it remains on the 2nd floor ICU. In the event of an emergency on the ground or first floors they have to secure this machine from the storage room in ICU. Two additional defibrillators will allow one per floor.

1 – Ultrasound Machine w/general surface probe - The hospital has to transport burn patients to the diagnostic building for an ultrasound scan subjecting them to infection from one building to the next.

2 – Ventilators

6 – Infusion Pumps

1 – Anesthesia Machine - There are only two operational anesthesia machines leaving the hospital unable to sedate all patients when changing dressing or providing treatment. This also means they are unable to change the dressing as often as necessary due to the limited access to these machines. Must have EU Specs; cylinders and fittings must be universal or adaptable to EU standards

1 – Hill Rom Fluidization Bed

General Supplies (gauze, bandages, sterile items, disposable gloves, etc.)

Assist International featured on Vanguard Healthcare

2007-11-20T14:13:00.000-08:00

Assist International has been featured on the Vanguard Healthcare Professionals web site as a non profit option to donate medical equipment, food, funds, and building materials. Many agencies, hospitals and refugee camps around the world are in dire need of proper medical equipment and supplies.

The site also invites doctors, nurses and others in the medical field to volunteer by installing life-saving medical equipment and training local staff. There will also be plenty of opportunities to site-see in unique and exciting countries they would not normally have the time to visit.

Vanguard Healthcare Professionals is a nationwide healthcare recruiting firm that provides advanced searches to fit the needs of the Healthcare Professionals and the Healthcare Provider.

Ultrasound Delivered

2007-09-24T14:09:00.000-07:00

They call it the 'ultra' Ultrasound. The Sonos 5500 ultrasound (way better than the 4500) was delivered to the Nhi Dong #1 hospital in Ho Chi Minh City earlier this summer. It is considered to be one of the nicest ECHO machines available in the industry. It is the first Pediatric Transesophageal ECHO ever done in Ho Chi Minh City.

With this new technology, doctors are able to make much more complete and accurate diagnosis of heart disease for the kids that are referred to them from both Ho Chi Minh City and the 31 surrounding provinces in Vietnam.

Not to sound too much like a commercial but the the Sonos 5500 has all the advanced features you want in a high-performance ultrasound system. Exceptional image quality, revolutionary contrast imaging tools, unique quantitative techniques, extensive applications, and an intuitive user interface allow the most comprehensive echo exams possible.

Information not taken from Wikipedia.

Food Bank for Monterey County

2007-09-20T12:16:00.000-07:00

The Food Bank for Monterey County, a certified America's Second Harvest food bank, is the largest supplier of emergency food in Monterey County. They distribute 5 million pounds of food annually. Assist International was able to provide assistence to this local charity recently.

Dear Assist International,

It has been the privilege of the Food Bank for Monterey County to receive donations of food products from your organization and Salinas Valley Memorial Healthcare System, for the poor, the needy and the migrant workers who work on our farms in the Salinas Valley.

Our mission is " to lead community efforts in the awareness and elimination of hunger in Monterey County." Organizations such as Assist International and Salinas Valley Memorial Hospital are crucial to this mission. Thank you for your help and generosity.

Your organization has been a great benefit to the State of California and, in particular, the Salinas Valley and surrounding region.

Sincerely,

Leslie Sunny
Executive Director

Cath Lab Receives Makeover

2007-09-19T10:46:00.000-07:00

In 2001, Assist International installed the only Cath Lab at the Nguyen Trai Hospital, the hospital for poor patients in Ho Chi Minh City. There are a lot of poor people in Ho Chi Minh City. There are a lot of sick people in Ho Chi Minh City. The hospital is always overcrowded and understaffed.

Since the installation of the equipment in 2001, the hospital does over 20 procedures a week. Doctors have the ability to do investigative procedures and to give "stints" when needed. The equipment was in need of refurbishing.

Recently, Tim 'I save lives' Larsen of Heart Lab and Dale 'the Enforcer' Frodin, a Toshiba Engineer did a complete "makeover" of the Cath Lab. Toshiba and Heart Lab donated around $100,000 worth of equipment for the Cath Lab and it is now functioning as well as it did 7 years ago.

Everyone celebrated with bowls of rice, rice rolls, coconut rice cream, rice beer, and duck duck rice.

Ho Chi Minh City Cancer Hospital

2007-09-18T12:47:00.000-07:00

There is one cancer hospital in all of Ho Chi Minh City, a city with over 6 million people. Children with the worst cases of cancer are directed to this hospital, and many are so sick that they cannot live through the chemotherapy treatment that they must endure.

If the child can survive chemotherapy, he or she has a 70% chance of conquering their cancer and living a long life. We were able to provide equipment that has totally transformed the hospital and strengthened its ability to save more children.

With help from Rotary International, this project was done for the Children of Vietnam...children who now have a hope and a future.

Hospital in Djibouti Saves More Lives

2007-08-30T13:28:00.000-07:00

The Peltier Hospital in Djibouti had a major problem. It wasn't a problem of being under staffed, they have an outstanding doctor to patient ratio. Nor was it problem with the expertise of the staff. The highly competent physicians were trained in France.

The problem was that they did not have much to work with.

The Peltier Hospital lacked "high tech" equipment to meet the needs of the large number of patients. They only had 4 monitoring systems for their ICU and the newly remodeled Cardiology Department. With Rotary participation, Assist International bumped the number from 4 to 24 monitors. The project lifted the hospital to a new level of healthcare.

The equipment provided is necessary for saving the lives of critically ill patients. It also brought a spirit of peace and understanding between our two countries.

Hospital National in Mali receives monitors

2007-08-30T11:54:00.000-07:00

The Hospital National DU Point G in Mali is large. Located in the capital city of Bamako, it is the only teaching and referral hospital in Mali. The Intensive Care Unit has 700 beds alone. However, there were only two working cardiac monitors for the whole department. With so many people dying from a lack of care, many patients referred to the intensive care room as "room of death". That changed this year.

With GE's generous donation of 17 new monitors, Assist International installed a fully equipped ICU as well as a new portable X-ray, a new ultrasound, a large supply of medical supplies and four wheelchairs.

The hospital staff was so grateful for this rare donation of NEW equipment that will serve them for many years. Now patients can refer to it as a "room of life".

For more information or to get involved, visit http://www.assistinternational.com/

Tanzania hospital receives upgrade

2007-08-08T10:08:00.000-07:00

The Buganda medical center in Tanzania received cardiac care equipment and bed side monitors that were donated by General Electric. It was a team effort of Rotary International members, Salinas Valley Hospital staff, GE assistants and Assist International.

“It was pretty phenomenal to see what was done,” said Sam Downing, president of Salinas Valley Hospital. “All the monitors were installed and ready to go in one week. It would take four months to do that in the United States.”

Patients at Buganda medical center do not share the same luxuries as patients do in the U.S. The sickest ones receive a bed and maybe a single blanket. In all, 25 volunteers worked around the clock to do everything from install the new monitors to repainting rooms. The end result was a first class intensive care unit.

“When you do a project in a place like this, you want to do it quickly because you know it will save lives,” stated Bob Pagett of Assist International. “We want to provide the people and the children of this country with a chance to live a normal life.”

Cardiac monitors delivered to Sri Lanka

2007-08-07T08:37:00.000-07:00

Members of Salinas Valley Healthcare Hospital teamed with Assist International and Rotary International to donate medical equipment in two hospitals in Sri Lanka. Following the Asain tsunami, Sri Lanka has been slow to recover. Many buildings still lay in ruins, the country is plagued with civil war and the healthcare is out of date. Much of the medical equipment in the public hospitals of Sri Lanka is archaic and sometimes not even functional.

Bob Pagett of Assist International called Salinas Valley.

“You go to your trusted friends," Said Pagett. “Of all the hospitals that I know of and the relationships that we have, Salinas Valley Healthcare is one of the first that I would go to.”

Salinas Valley Healthcare answered the call and sent a 7 person team to transport and install vital cardiac monitors. Now hospitals in Columbo and Ratnapura have state-of-the-art monitors for the people of Sri Lanka that would otherwise die waiting for a simple heart surgery.

Projects of this magnitude are rarely easy. Transporting large heart monitors half way around the world can present a unique obstacle. There are negotiations with government officials and language barriers. There are land mines.

Hazardous conditions aside, lives in Sri Lanka were saved and everyone involved with the trip found the experience life changing.

“Working with Assist International is one of the best experiences I have had,” said Brad Carrot, Director of Biomedical Services at Salinas Valley. “They take on a project and they see it through from start to finish, from donating the equipment to training and teaching the staff.”

Hospital in Rwanda receives incubators

2007-07-19T10:28:00.000-07:00

A letter from Josh Ruxin, the country director of The Millennium Villages Project:

Dear Assist International & General Electric,

Mayange, the village where we work, has a population of 24,000. As you know, maternal and infant mortality are high in Rwanda, and increasing birth attendance by a health professional can significantly reduce these figures. Prior to Millennium Villages Project’s arrival at the health center, less than 20 babies per month were born at the health center. We have seen the number of births at the health center double since our arrival.

Now, thanks to your donation of infant warmers and incubator---babies that would have died or suffered from hypothermia are alive and kicking!

At Nyamata hospital those incubators are kept at full occupancy. Due to the difficult living conditions, long distances from health care, hard physical labor by women, and poor prenatal care women often develop complications during pregnancy and delivery. Previously, babies who were born prematurely had a very slim chance of living, as there was no means to keep them in a warm and safe environment. Thanks to you, these babies born under difficult circumstances now have a chance at life.

On behalf of the many newborn babies and thousands of patients of Mayange and Nyamata who benefit daily from your equipment, I offer my sincerest thanks and gratitude for your generosity.

Sincerely,

Josh Ruxin
Country Director
Millennium Villages Project
The Access Project

X-Ray equipment delivered to Nyamata Hospital in Rwanda

2007-07-19T10:13:00.000-07:00

A letter that was received from Josh Ruxin, the Country Director of Millennium Villages Project in Rwanda:

It is with great pleasure and excitement that I am writing to thank you for the incredible donation of equipment that has gone to Mayange Health Center and Nyamata Hospital in Rwanda. Lives are already being saved as a result of GE’s generosity and the incredible work of Assist International.

One recent afternoon when I visited Nyamata hospital, I saw three patients who were coming out of the outpatient department with casts. Each of these patients had suffered different accidents and they each had a fracture. Before, when there was no x-ray equipment, the patient would have to be transported an hour away to the main reference hospital in the capital, Kigali. Due to the enormous load of patients seen there daily, they could wait an entire day for an x-ray (if they even had the funds to go to Kigali!). Then they would have to bring the x-ray back to the doctor at Nyamata Hospital to get treatment. This could often take more than one day and the patients often endure unbearable pain as they ride along the bumpy dirt roads to and fro.

Thanks to the x-ray equipment you donated to Nyamata Hospital these three patients arrived in the morning and by early afternoon they were casted and ready to go home. Thanks to your generosity people are able to get the care and treatment they need and deserve.

The staff at both the health center and hospital is thrilled with the tools you have given them. Imagine being trained in medicine, being expected to take care of patients, and most of the time having to do so without any of the necessary tools. Such is life for most doctors and nurses in Rwanda. By providing them with this medical equipment, you enhance their ability to take care of patients and you boost their morale. They know that on the other side of the world Rwanda and its people have not been forgotten.

On behalf of the thousands of patients of Mayange and Nyamata who benefit daily from your equipment, I offer my sincerest thanks and gratitude for your generosity.

By the way, having received numerous donations, I’d like to note that the work of Assist International was top-notch. The training and assurance that equipment was properly installed was professional and superb. Please pass this letter on to all who were involved!

Sincerely,

Josh Ruxin
The Access Project