Medical Equipment Project
In July 2008, Volunteer Morocco initiated the “Medical Equipment for Morocco” project in collaboration with the International Medical Equipment Collaborative (IMEC).
With IMEC’s help, Volunteer Morocco secured $295,000 worth of medical equipment and supplies for the Souss Massa Draa region of Morocco. The shipment arrived in Morocco on June 8, 2009 and as of July 24, 2009, most of the equipment has been distributed. The supplies and equipment are given free of charge to receiving facilities.
June 20, 2009. Ighaln Dispensery, Ighaln Village. Volunteer Morocco volunteers deliver medical equipment.
So far, Volunteer Morocco and its program volunteers delivered medical equipment, administrative and clinical supplies to the following facilities:
Hassan II Hospital, Agadir, Morocco
Tamri Clinic, Tamri Village, Moroco
Assaka Clinic, Assaka Village, Morocco
Ighaln Dispensery, Ighaln Village, Morocco
Imsouane Dispensery, Imsouane Region, Morocco
Al Koudia Dispensery, Al Koudia Village, Morocco
Ighil Youth Association, Ighil Village, Morocco
Iligh Development Association, Agadir, Morocco
Baraka and Tazanounine Association, Ighaln Village, Morocco
Riad Imsouane Association, Raid Village Morocco
Ibn Zohr University, Agadir, Morocco
June 15, 2009. Mabrooka Cooperative, Agadir, Morocco.
Volunteer Morocco and Hassan II officials sort three suites of medical equipment for the hospital.
Packing the medical equipement at the IMEC facility in North Andover, MA.
April 28 , 2009. Dr. Sue Crawford and Zakaria Ibrahimi and Giovanni Dominique load the final supplies on the last pallet to be loaded in the 40ft shipping container. Medical equipment in the background is destined for Morocco.
Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences Pre-Med Club 5K Race for Morocco.
On April 4, 2009, 75 students from MCPHS gathered in Cambridge for a 5K race to raise money for Volunteer Morocco (www.volunteermorocco.org) and MCPHS’s Medical Equipment Project, an effort that aims to bring a 40-foot shipping container of $295,000 of medical equipment. Clinics and a hospital in the rural region of Imsouane, Morocco (about 80 km north of Agadir) will receive this equipment at no cost.
Several of the student organizers of the event volunteered in Morocco over winter break and returned to the United States with enthusiasm and a commitment to contribute to the rural hospital and communities they volunteered in while in Morocco.
Lead organizer, Meaghan O’Connell, sees much potential for this project and says, “We hope to send a container every year and make this a long-term school project.”
In addition to the 5K race, the students also plan to participate as “Morocco” in a cultural fair to raise money for the project.
“It was great to see the students organize this event for Moroccan health centers. It is a bridge of goodwill from American health-care students to the people of Morocco, in particular, the villagers of the Imsouane region,” said Aziz El Madi, co-director of Volunteer Morocco.
Over the past year, MCPHS student volunteers who have participated in the Volunteer Morocco program have organized a variety of drives to collect donated laptops, clothing, school supplies and infant care items to send to Morocco. In addition, they started a fund to raise money for Hassan II Orphanage in Agadir.
MCPHS and Volunteer Morocco plan to send two more student groups to Morocco this summer in June and August. The students – all future health care workers - will be organizing a rural health clinic and will be volunteering in an orphanage, hospital, pharmacies, and in the villages of Riad Imsouane. Volunteer Morocco hopes to bring medical equipment to several other rural clinics and hospitals in the Souss region.
To contribute to the Medical Equipment Project, please contact Jessica Masse at Jessica.masse@mcphs.edu. All donations are tax-deductable.
Students getting ready for the challenge.
IMEC VISITS MOROCCO
During the third week of July, 2008, Volunteer Morocco brought officials from IMEC to visit Hassan II Hospital in Agadir and 10 other rural health clinics in the Moroccan country-side to assess the medical equipment needs of the facilities. Volunteer Morocco serves as the shepherding organization for the Morocco Medical Equipment Project with the goal of bringing essential medical equipment to health centers at no cost to the receiving facilities.
Dr. Sue Crawford and Tom Keefe, the founder of IMEC, joined Volunteer Morocco and local Moroccan officials and spent several days touring health centers, speaking with and listening to doctors and nurses to determine what equipment is needed to help these health care professionals best serve the people of Morocco. The IMEC representatives found significant need in the clinics they visited, in particular, there were multiple requests for maternity and pre-natal health care equipment in the rural health centers and dispenseries.
Dr. Sue Crawford of IMEC, presenting a small donation of medical supplies to a rural clinic in Morocco.
ABOUT IMEC
International Medical Equipment Collaborative (IMEC)
http://www.imecamerica.org/
Founded in 1995, IMEC is a nonprofit, volunteer-based organization that distributes donated medical equipment, supplies, and support services to doctors, nurses and technologists working in hospitals, clinics, and orphanages in underserved locations worldwide. Together with thousands of volunteers and partnering organizations, we serve people in Central and South America, Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, the Caribbean, and the former Soviet Republics.
Tom Keefe of IMEC, taking notes during an assessment.
Haj Ati (left) and Tom Keefe (right), congratulating the good work of the sole technician responsible for maintaining 18 dialysis machines in this rural dialysis center.
Tom Keefe presenting to Agadir, Morocco's Rotary Club. The Agadir Rotary Club has voted to support the Volunteer Morocco Medical Equipment Project and seeks to partner with a US-based Rotary Club in order to participate in the Rotary Club International "Matching Grant" program.
Reception in Agadir, Morocco: Tom Keefe (IMEC CEO), Mehdi Tahiri (Former President of Rotary Club Agadir), Dr. Susan Crawford (Director of African Operations), Jessica Masse(Volunteer Morocco, Co Director)
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IMEC representatives giving gifts to Dr. Bouhsoune after assesment at Tamri dispensary