Medical Supplies to Hospitals in Chile

Dear members of Global Giving - your donations have made a life saving difference for many in Southern Chile.

Relying on your donations for the cost of shipping, VIDA has coordinated 5 jam packed containers to Chile since February 27th, carrying over $7 million in desperately needed medical supplies and equipment. These shipments were directed to clinics and hospitals in the most impacted areas in Southern Chile. VIDA is working with FEDES Foundation, our partner in Chile, to support rural hospital and clinics. The inequality of care between urban and rural areas is notable. This factor further exacerbates the situation of the indigenous groups, whose health risk indications are already far higher than non-indigenous populations'. A large portion of Chile's population lives in rural areas and depends on rural primary care centers for its health care. Over 60 clinics were destroyed by the tsunami. In these districts there is a predominance of infectious diseases and basic health care goals are much more difficult to achieve.
The recent earthquake caused huge road infrastructure damage, leaving many rural communities even more isolated than previously. It also caused significant damage in the five most populated regions of the country. In the greater metropolis area of Santiago, the health service infrastructures of several counties with high poverty levels were severely damaged. The main shortages are in equipment, supplies, and medication, since local health entities lack sufficient resources to acquire them.
Our project focuses on:
 > Populations in isolated, rural areas who lack access to basic health care services which guarantees their fundamental rights.
> Inadequate primary health care conditions for inhabitants of the most socially and economically underprivileged counties of Santiago.

VIDA and FEDES is providing equipment, medical supplies, and medication to 100 rural primary care centers located in various regions of the country, especially those affected by the February 27th earthquake and subsequent tsunami. These are the regions of Valparaiso, the Santiago Metropolis area, Libertador O. Higgins, Maule, and Bio Bio.
VIDA and FEDES will also provide equipment, medical supplies and medications to the 13 primary care centers in the counties of Cerro Navia and Lo Espejo, which are located in the greater metropolis area of Santiago.