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On Anniversary of Katrina, Direct Relief International Preparing Clinics for Gustav
30 Aug 2008 01:01:00 GMT
 Source: Direct Relief International (DRI) - USA
Website: Website: http://www.directrelief.org

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Santa Barbara, Calif. - With Hurricane Gustav poised to strike the U.S. Gulf Coast after claiming lives in the Caribbean, humanitarian medical aid organization Direct Relief International is sending additional relief materials to complement its pre-positioned hurricane preparedness materials distributed in high-risk areas.

Today, shipments of specifically requested emergency medical materials were sent to:

· David Raines Community Health Center of Shreveport, Louisiana;

· Morehouse Community Medical Center of Bastrop, Louisiana; and

· Primary Health Care Services of Monroe, Louisiana.

Their contents included basic first-aid materials, antibiotics, personal care products, and supplies for diabetics valued at a total of $13,000 for all three shipments. All three clinics are operating alternate care sites at shelters in their respective areas. More shipments will be planned as necessary to help meet clinic demand.

These materials were generously donated by Abbott, BD, CVS, Johnson & Johnson, Matrixx, and Miltex. FedEx is transporting the materials to the recipients overnight free of charge. With the Labor Day holiday weekend fast approaching in the U.S., swift response was key in determining partner needs today.

To supply partners for the hurricane season, Direct Relief delivered Hurricane Preparedness Packs in July to the Dominican Republic and Jamaica, as well as domestically in the states of Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas. The packs, which contain enough materials to treat 100 patients for a range of conditions for a 72-hour period, were developed after careful analysis of the healthcare conditions following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, which struck the Gulf three years ago today.

In the three years since Katrina and Rita, Direct Relief has supported safety-net clinics and community health centers along the Gulf Coast with $47 million in medical material aid and $4.6 million in cash assistance.

Direct Relief has also contacted five of its partner groups working in the Dominican Republic and Haiti to offer assistance. Before reaching hurricane strength, Gustav flooded Haiti and caused landslides in the Dominican Republic, killing at least 59 people in its wake. Standing water, combined with a displaced population, could lead to significant public health issues.

"Standing water creates a breeding ground for a range of diseases, including those that cause severe diarrhea, which can be deadly if untreated," said Emergency Response Coordinator Brett Williams. "We saw a similar situation arise after Cyclone Nargis struck Myanmar in May."

As with all its emergency response efforts, Direct Relief is communicating frequently with healthcare partners treating people affected by Gustav to deliver the most effective aid possible, both in the U.S. and in the Caribbean.

About Direct Relief International Founded in 1948, Direct Relief International is a Santa Barbara-based nonprofit organization focused on improving the quality of life by bringing critically needed medicines and supplies to local healthcare providers worldwide. Direct Relief works in 59 countries and has delivered more than $1 billion in privately funded humanitarian medical aid to health professionals serving impoverished communities since 2000. Direct Relief is one of two charities ranked by Forbes that has received a perfect fundraising efficiency score for five consecutive years and is ranked by the Chronicle of Philanthropy as California's largest international nonprofit organization based on private support. For more information, please visit www.DirectRelief.org. ###


[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]

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[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]

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REFILE - CAPTION CLARIFICATION The center of Tropical Storm Gustav is pictured over the Caribbean Sea in this NOAA satellite image taken early August 29, 2008. Gustav, which strengthened back to ...


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Last updated:Sat Aug 30 01:06:38 2008