DAYTON – Midmark Corp., a leading provider of medical, dental and veterinary equipment, technology and services, announced its partnership with Direct Relief on the shipment of medical equipment to Puerto Rico, equipping a health clinic in a remote area devastated by Hurricane Maria on Sept. 20, 2017.
Midmark worked with Direct Relief to donate an exam table, pediatric table, sterilizer, LED procedure lighting, a blood draw chair, physician stool and diagnostic instruments needed for the Clinica Comunitaria Mameyes.
Located in the Mameyes community in the town of Utuado, in the central mountainous region of Puerto Rico, the clinic opened in April 2018, after Hurricane Maria left the community and six others in the area isolated from any medical service for residents.
Founded by Francisco “Tito” Valentin, of Mameyes, who recognized the desperate need to open the clinic and the benefits it would bring to his community, the free clinic serves seven rural and remote communities in the towns of Utuado and Jayuya.
Valentin turned an abandoned building into the health clinic, which was still undergoing renovations in the fall of 2019; however, physicians and nurses on staff from the community now are treating approximately 125 patients per week.
Not only has this clinic benefited these communities by offering health services, but it also has created job opportunities and the chance for many of its residents to work close to home.
“This donation will now allow us to use quality equipment and maximize our resources, perform minor surgical procedures and obtain accurate measurement and weight of babies to determine if their growth is within normal range,” said Valentin, president of COSSAO.
“Having traveled throughout the entire island and seeing many health centers and a few free clinics, Clinica Comunitaria Mameyes stands out because of the effort they’ve put into this clinic, the humility in which they do it and the ownership they have created within their people,” said Andrew MacCalla, director, international programs and emergency prep and response for Direct Relief. “That’s something to feel proud of, especially after what they went through after Hurricane Maria and building a health clinic from the ground up.”
Midmark also is partnering with Direct Relief on a shipment of medical equipment for the Bahamas to support a clinic in an area that was devastated by Hurricane Dorian in 2019.
“We are happy to partner with Direct Relief to help support areas where these hurricanes left vast destruction in communities and their health care infrastructure,” Mitch Eiting, Midmark’s global philanthropic and corporate giving manager, said. “We believe that all patients deserve accessible, quality health care and are committed to doing our part to make this happen.”
