A patient urgently needed oxygen, but the hospital’s supply was down to one cylinder — not enough for the case and certainly not enough for the 700-bed facility to get through the night.  
 
Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital is an essential research and referral hospital in Banjul, the Gambia’s capital city. It is the most critical healthcare institution for the national health security of the country. But until recently, sourcing, transporting, and paying for oxygen canisters for patients were a massive drain on hospital resources. The only oxygen available was industrial, not the more effective medical-grade oxygen. Canisters were carefully rationed, frustrating providers and making it harder to provide surgeries and specialized care. 
 
Dr. Mustapha Bittaye, the hospital’s chief medical officer, explained that staff members needed to wait in a queue every two weeks at an industrial oxygen plant to purchase about 350 canisters. Purchasing the oxygen — if it was even available — might cost 2 million dalasi, or about $28,000 USD, per month. Sometimes oxygen costs more than the entire revenue the hospital collected that month.

The effort and expense it took to meet one critical need is a testament to the hospital’s dedication to its most vulnerable patients, such as newborn babies and the critically ill. But the disproportionate allocation of resources hampered preventative care, teaching, research, and the expansion of medical services.

“It was very common to have many people employed…just moving the oxygen around,” Dr. Bittaye said. “It was very common for supplies to be short. You only give it to those who need it badly…you had to do rationing.”  
 
The complex oxygen piping systems employed by many hospitals allow physicians to customize oxygen concentrations to individual patients, like premature infants, who have specialized needs. They allow surgical teams to use a built-in suction system rather than an external device. Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital, which operates in conjunction with the University of the Gambia, trains surgeons and other specialists with the goal of eliminating the need for outside medical missions, but its colonial-era facility didn’t have an oxygen piping system or a plant to produce the medical grade oxygen required. 

Now, a new medical oxygen plant has been completed at the hospital, and a pipeline system developed to distribute the operating theaters and oxygen throughout the facility. Biomedical technicians are being trained to maintain the new system over time. 
 
The new system has rapidly changed healthcare in the Gambia, said Dr. John Sampson, a professor of anesthesiology and critical care medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine who works closely with medical partners in West Africa. Now, a new anesthesiologist, who recently graduated from medical school, makes full use of the medical oxygen system in her work at Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital.
 
“The hospital is transforming very rapidly,” Dr. Bittaye said. Average monthly revenue has sharply increased, and more specialists are completing training. But for his providers and staff, the increased quality of care, and better outcomes for patients, are the most important considerations. 
 
“Most important is the patient,” he said. “No more rationing, that’s the biggest thing.” 
 
The medical oxygen plant and distribution system are part of the larger Africa Infrastructure Relief and Support, or AIRS, project – a Society of Critical Care Medicine collaboration with the Johns Hopkins Global Alliance of Perioperative Professionals, or JHU-GAPP, and the Institute of Global Perioperative Care. (Dr. Sampson founded the last two organizations, and is GAPP’s executive director.) Through AIRS, Direct Relief is funding reliable power and medical oxygen projects in Sierra Leone, the Gambia, and Liberia, with a $5.5 million grant. 
 
International groups have worked to supply major hospitals around the world with oxygen plants for years, but frequently these hospitals are reliant on foreign workers to fix broken systems. When support is slow to arrive, hospitals are without medical oxygen once again. To prevent this, the AIRS project also includes extensive training for local biomedical engineers, who will maintain the plant and distribution system and repair as needed.  

Because power spikes and other electrical phenomena can damage oxygen systems, Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital’s system is specifically designed, by a Ghanaian installer who has experience with the region’s grids, and knows how to insulate the plant from shocks.  
 
“Obviously the amount of effort of well-meaning Westerners over past years has been in the millions of dollars,” Dr. Sampson said. “But no one is addressing the core infrastructure issues that prevent the health care providers who were born, who were trained, who live, who teach [in the Gambia], and who care for their people” from providing the care which they are so capable. 
 
Dr. Sampson explained that Westerners often misunderstand the nature of health care in countries like the Gambia. West African countries train and develop their own accomplished physicians, and hospitals are staffed by skilled, committed providers. For many health systems, drastically reducing the need for foreign doctors is a high priority. But to accomplish that, high-quality medical infrastructure and reliable electricity are indispensable. 

Without necessary resources like medical-grade oxygen, West African providers may feel frustrated and disempowered, Dr. Sampson said. A surgeon may be highly talented, dedicated, and trained in state-of-the-art techniques, but performing surgery without reliable electricity won’t allow them to care for patients to the best of their ability.  
 
Choosing the AIRS projects and the best locations for each required working with regional experts, health ministry authorities, and medical and cultural partners across West Africa. The Gambia’s new medical oxygen system is intended to strategically meet the needs that health systems, hospitals, and providers encounter in their communities every day.  
 
“Our program has taken a different approach to global health,” Dr. Sampson explained.  
Now, the hospital’s leaders “can actually use their money for health care instead of cylinders.” 
 
“That’s what I love about this project,” Dr. Bittaye said. “It’s the holistic nature of it,” with partners asking what a hospital needs and what its goals are, rather than offering something that may fit an outside mission but doesn’t suit a country’s own approach to health care.  
 
“It’s going to have a big impact,” he said.  

The post A New Medical Oxygen System Supports the Gambia’s Dedicated Physicians  appeared first on Direct Relief.

The shipments contained 24 million defined daily doses of medication and supplies, including prenatal vitamins, vaccines, nutritional supplements, anti-inflammatories, and more.

Puerto Rico Health Fair

Recently, Direct Relief and Puerto Rican NGO La Fondita de Jesús collaborated to bring primary healthcare services to the community of Villa Calma in Tao Baja, an underserved metropolitan area composed of roughly 150 families in Puerto Rico vulnerable to flooding.

Volunteer healthcare providers from La Fondita de Jesús treated community members using a mobile medical unit donated by Direct Relief. Services included administering vaccines and visiting patients with mobility challenges to ensure they were cared for. Direct Relief team members distributed personal care items and solar-powered lights for use since the community experiences frequent power outages.

Additionally, as part of La Fondita de Jesús’ mission to empower communities on self-sustainability, the organization delivered groceries to families and provided community development education, including maintaining home gardens.

Providing Medical Oxygen in Yemen

An oxygen plant opened this week in Yemen’s Shabwah Governorate, bringing medical-grade oxygen to nearly 70,000 individuals being treated in the region’s hospitals and health centers. This project was installed and facilitated by Yemen Aid with funding from Direct Relief and will produce up to 50 cylinders of oxygen per day.

The World Health Organization classifies medical oxygen as an essential medicine and is often used in healthcare settings to treat patients with respiratory illnesses, like Covid-19 and pneumonia, during surgery and trauma care, in the neonatal intensive care unit for babies requiring additional oxygen support, and more.

OPERATIONAL SNAPSHOT

WORLDWIDE

Over the last week, Direct Relief shipped 22.1 million defined daily doses of medication outside the U.S.

Countries that received medical aid over the past week included:

UNITED STATES

Direct Relief delivered 528 shipments containing over three tons of medications during the past seven days to organizations, including the following:

YEAR TO DATE

Since January 1, 2024, Direct Relief has delivered 344 shipments to 276 partner organizations in 42 US states and territories and 10 countries.

These shipments contained 11.2M defined daily doses of medication totaling 142,966 lbs.

The post Supporting Healthcare in Puerto Rico, Medical Oxygen in Yemen appeared first on Direct Relief.

The shipments contained 12.5 million defined daily doses of medication, including first aid kits, vitamins, PPE, antibiotics, and more.

Response to Fires in Hawai‘i Underway

The wildfire impacting Lahaina in western Maui was 80 percent contained, with firefighters making progress on two other large fires burning across Maui. Approximately 80 percent of the town of Lahaina has been destroyed; the population of Lahaina was about 13,000 before the fire. The confirmed death toll from these fires now stands at 55 people.

There have been widespread communications challenges across the impacted area, including power, phone, internet, cell, and radio outages. Six shelters (five in Maui and one in Honolulu) were open as of Wednesday night and had reported over 1,000 total residents by Thursday evening. One of Direct Relief’s partners, ‘Malama I Ke Ola’ (Community Clinic of Maui), has a clinic site in the Lahaina fire zone that they have been unable to reach to assess the level of damage. They have other sites throughout Maui, including a mobile clinic and are currently assessing their needs and will then communicate with Direct Relief for needed support.

Direct Relief has been in contact with its existing 19 nonprofit partners organizations, as well as government and statewide organizations across Hawai‘i, sharing with them available inventory, including wildfire response kits and emergency medical backpacks, which contain medicines commonly requested after and during fires. Four shipments with requested wildfire kits, hygiene kits, emergency backpacks, and various medications have already been sent to the local nonprofit Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies Coalition of Hawai‘i, whose staff is currently supporting relief efforts, and the shelters in Maui.

Direct Relief will continue responding to requests for medical products, which are anticipated to increase over the weekend.

Personal Care Products Reach Earthquake Survivors in Turkey

Six months after the Turkey/Syria earthquakes, life for survivors in Hatay province remains extremely challenging. Thousands are still displaced, living in tents or container shelters, with summer temperatures rising to over 105 degrees Fahrenheit.

In these conditions, which are ideal for the spread of infectious diseases, hygiene items are in high demand. In response, Direct Relief delivered an 80-ton (132 pallet) donation of requested personal care items from Kenvue, including feminine hygiene products, mouthwash, baby bath soap, and body wash to Adana Metropolitan Municipality (Adana MM). Adana MM has played a pivotal role in supporting neighboring Hatay province with both material aid and distribution logistics since the earthquakes. These items will be distributed throughout Hatay to increase both patient and medical staff’s level of comfort during this extended disaster response phase.

Click here to learn more about Direct Relief’s response to the February earthquakes in Turkey and Syria.

Hospitalito Atitlan in Guatemala Receives Medical Oxygen Equipment

Hospitalito Atitlan is a rural hospital in Guatemala that provides healthcare about 75,000 patients annually, primarily of indigenous Mayan background. Direct Relief recently purchased medical oxygen equipment for the hospital, which will upgrade its medical oxygen system and output, allowing it to expand and improve its health services and reduce its reliance on renting and purchasing oxygen cylinders.

These items are expensive, and their quick delivery is easily hindered by bad weather as the hospital is located in a rural part of Guatemala with poorly maintained roads, hours from the capital. Lyn Dickey, Hospital Director, thanked Direct Relief staff for “making this dream a reality.”

OPERATIONAL SNAPSHOT

WORLDWIDE

This week, Direct Relief shipped 5.8 million defined daily doses of medication outside the U.S.

Countries that received medical aid over the past week included:

• Iran
• Ethiopia
• Syria
• Egypt
• Ukraine
• Burkina Faso
• Syria
• Uganda
• Liberia
• Democratic Republic of the Congo
• Cambodia
• Kenya
• Morroco
• Jordan
• Bangladesh
• Panama
• Sierra Leone
• Honduras
• Guatemala
• Madagascar
• Tanzania

UNITED STATES

Direct Relief delivered 504 shipments containing more than 14.6 tons of medications over the past week to organizations, including the following:

• Samaritans Touch Care Center, Inc, Florida
• PanCare of Florida, Inc. Malone, Florida
• Flagler County Free Clinic, Florida
• Faith Community Health Center, South Dakota
• James Valley Community Health Center, South Dakota
• Crossroads Family Care Henderson Family & Dental Care, Texas
• Barnabas Health Services, Florida
• Hope Clinic and Care Center, Wisconsin
• Franklin County Community Care, Texas
• Community Care Center, North Carolina

In the past two weeks, Direct Relief also issued a $464,115 grant to Goshen Medical Center, Inc. to support the installation of a clean power system at two health clinics in North Carolina as part of its Power for Health initiative.

In addition, Fundación CAP, a mental health-focused nonprofit based in Puerto Rico, received its second grant payment of $50,000 ($100,000 in total) to fund two clinical psychologists who currently provide pediatric services to cancer patients of the Hospital Pediátrico de Puerto Rico’s oncology unit. The mission of Fundación CAP is to ensure that all pediatric cancer patients, regardless of their income, can enjoy access to the best quality care in Puerto Rico while staying near their homes and family.

YEAR-TO-DATE (GLOBAL)

Since Jan. 1, 2023, Direct Relief has delivered 12,400 shipments to 2,072 healthcare providers in 55 U.S. states and territories and 79 countries.

These shipments contained 339.4 million defined daily doses of medication valued at $1.3 billion (wholesale), totaling 4.1 million lbs.

in the news

Where to Give – Hawaii Wildfires – Charity Navigator

Direct Relief sends aid to Maui as death toll rises from raging wildfires – KEYT

How To Help Hawaii Wildfire Survivors Right Now – AOL

Direct Relief Sends Emergency Medical Shipments to Maui for Wildfire Response – Noozhawk

The post Responding to Fires in Maui, Health Support Globally Continues appeared first on Direct Relief.

The summit brought more than 40 leaders from across the Caribbean together to hear from medical and industry experts on the increased risk of disasters and the threats such events pose to health infrastructure in hurricane-prone areas around the region.

As ocean temperatures continue to rise due to climate change, so has the severity of the hurricanes that batter the Caribbean region year after year. The Caribbean experienced 70 named tropical storms across 19 countries between 1980 and 2019.

In response, Direct Relief has provided support to Caribbean health initiatives, including medical refrigeration, solar power, and requested medical supplies. By providing aid and logistical assistance before, during, and after hurricanes and tropical storms, Direct Relief has responded in the contiguous U.S. and Puerto Rico, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Dominica, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Grenada, Barbados, Cuba, St. Maarten, the U.S. and British Virgin Islands, Anguilla, Turks and Caicos, Antigua, and Jamaica.

“Governments worldwide have significant challenges in this post-covid moment, facing intensifying natural events that pose great risks to this region,” said Thomas Tighe, President and CEO of Direct Relief. “We deeply appreciate these leaders being here to share their perspectives on how private philanthropy can assist them to better prepare and respond to disasters in the Caribbean.”

Since establishing the Puerto Rico office in 2017 to support Hurricane Maria response, Direct Relief has facilitated the implementation of over 400 projects to strengthen Puerto Rico’s healthcare system through its health center network and other local nonprofit organizations. With an investment of more than $120 million, including grant funding and requested medical aid, the organization has expanded healthcare services for vulnerable communities across the island and bolstered emergency preparedness capacity at health facilities.

Now, Direct Relief has unveiled Puerto Rico as a hub for Caribbean emergency response, with over 25 tons of emergency medical supplies staged on the island and ready for deployment to neighboring Caribbean islands facing impacts from disasters and emergencies.

As part of Direct Relief’s efforts to support disaster response in the region, the Hurricane Preparedness Program features the deployment of large caches of the medical items most needed in the wake of a disaster, including trauma supplies, antibiotics, and wound care supplies, as well as medications for diabetes, hypertension, and respiratory, psychological, and gastrointestinal ailments. The Hurricane Preparedness Packs weigh 1,470 lbs. and are designed to provide enough medical supplies to care for 1,000 people for 30 days.

This year, 18 countries in the Northern Hemisphere, including Anguilla, Bahamas, Barbados, British Virgin Islands, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, Panama, and St. Lucia will receive the Hurricane Preparedness Packs from Direct Relief.

The post Direct Relief Convenes 15 Caribbean Nations to Discuss Climate Change and Impacts on Health appeared first on Direct Relief.

This grant comes at a crucial period since the Covid-19 pandemic, where Yemen continues to face widespread illness at the community level. Yemen, a country populated by 29 million people, has been crippled by a collapsed health sector and weak medical supply, which includes oxygen support. “Yemenis are fighting many fights during this conflict – they shouldn’t have to worry if a clinic or a hospital has oxygen to support their needs during life and death situations or for basic related care,” said Yemen Aid’s CEO Summer Nasser. “This agreement will be life-changing for hundreds and thousands of adults and children seeking medical attention.”

The two planned oxygen plants will produce 100 extra-large cylinders per day and are to be located on Azzan General Public Hospital in Shabwah and Mareb General Public Hospital in the province of Mareb. Both public hospitals serve a combined estimate of 220,000 patients per year. Yemen’s Minister of Public Health and Population, Dr. Qasem Buhaibeh said “Direct Relief, through Yemen Aid, has been a strong ally of support in the health sector to Yemen, especially in regard to rapid response to the COVID-19 pandemic. At a time where oxygen supply is scarce and limited, this new agreement will lessen the burden of families and ensure quality medical support to patients that are in need of oxygen support for years to come.”

“It’s a privilege for Direct Relief to support the important work of Yemen Aid and the Ministry of Public Health and Population in assisting the people of Yemen,” said Thomas Tighe, President & CEO of Direct Relief. “Among the many chronic challenges that the Covid-19 pandemic brought into sharp focus globally was the glaring lack of sufficient medical oxygen, which is always essential for critical care but obviously so when the pandemic is a respiratory disease. As the pandemic subsides, this is an important step to strengthen health services for people in Yemen in still challenging times.”

Yemen Aid coordinated with the Ministry of Public Health and Population to assist in identifying the hospital locations that will benefit from the oxygen plants through a needs-assessment approach. The two oxygen plants are expected to be completed by May 2023.

The post Yemen Aid to Open Two Oxygen Plants in Yemen in Partnership with Direct Relief appeared first on Direct Relief.

To ensure the availability of medical oxygen to patients in West Africa, SCCM is launching the Africa Infrastructure Relief and Support (AIRS) project, made possible by a $5.5 million grant from Direct Relief.

Under SCCM’s global health initiative, AIRS—in collaboration with the Johns Hopkins Global Alliance of Perioperative Professionals (GAPP) and the Institute of Global Perioperative Care— officials in The Gambia, Liberia, and Sierra Leone will identify specific medical oxygen-related needs, including hospital-based infrastructure, oxygen-generating plants, and solar energy.

SCCM plans to expand the initiative to additional countries eventually.

The World Health Organization notes that oxygen is an essential lifesaving medication with no substitute. It is used to treat respiratory illnesses such as COVID-19 and pneumonia, during surgery, and trauma, and often is needed for vulnerable patients, including elderly patients, pregnant patients, and newborns. The COVID-19 pandemic exposed the severe lack of access to medical oxygen in various parts of the world, including several countries in West Africa.

“The Gambia, for instance, had no medical oxygen at all until last year and was relying on industrial oxygen, which is not suited for patient care,” said John B. Sampson, MD, chair of the SCCM AIRS project and an associate professor of anesthesiology and critical care medicine at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore. “In most hospitals, healthcare professionals take it for granted that they can turn a knob or push a button and provide patients with oxygen, whether through a face mask, cannula, or ventilator.”

Officials and healthcare professionals from the three countries have informed project staff about their oxygen needs and are working closely with SCCM AIRS leaders. The project will involve the development of oxygen-generating plants, installation and maintenance of solar panels to ensure an ongoing power supply to the equipment, installation of oxygen piping within facility walls, and in-depth training for workers who will operate solar and oxygen-generating systems to ensure the sustainable provision of benefits for years to come. The projects will vary based on each country’s specific needs:

• The Gambia: Only one hospital in the country has medical oxygen, so the government and medical community have requested the development of an oxygen-generating facility at another hospital.
• Liberia: Because the country has ongoing oxygen access issues, officials are requesting the development of an oxygen-generating facility for a rural hospital. Because of an unstable power grid, the project will develop a solar-based renewable energy system to power the oxygen-generating supply.
• Sierra Leone: Because the country has plans to create an oxygen-generating facility, officials have requested the development of renewable solar energy.

SCCM will offer complimentary memberships and Fundamental Critical Care Support (FCCS) training for critical care professionals in the three countries once the oxygen and solar infrastructure are developed.

“The SCCM AIRS project is unique and exactly the type of program that is needed in areas throughout Africa and the world to fund in Africa,” said Thomas Tighe, president and chief executive officer of Direct Relief. “It’s uniquely positioned to centralize resources and talent to meet these needs, and it’s a privilege to support this vital work.”

Direct Relief’s investment in the AIRS project represents its single most significant investment in oxygen availability to date, building on its efforts in recent years to equip healthcare professionals across 65 countries with oxygen generation plants, ventilators, and oxygen concentrators, in coordination with organizations such as Every Breath Counts.

“This new partnership has all of the ingredients for success – a smart funder (Direct Relief) with a strong track record of delivering the right oxygen supplies to the countries in greatest need in record time, a network of clinicians (Society of Critical Care Medicine) fully engaged with government and local hospitals to ensure the operation and maintenance of the new equipment, and the use of solar power to overcome the energy challenges that are often the major barrier to sustained oxygen access,” said Leith Greenslade, coordinator for Every Breath Counts. “This is the type of oxygen access model we need to see in many more countries. Bravo to the partners.”

The post SCCM Africa Infrastructure Relief and Support Project Will Improve Access to Lifesaving Oxygen in West Africa appeared first on Direct Relief.

Aid aboard the FedEx Express Boeing 777 cargo aircraft included substantial quantities of emergency medicines and supplies, including health kits, trauma and wound care items, chronic disease and chemical exposure medications, and antibiotics. All items were provided at the request of, and approved by, Ukraine’s Ministry of Health and local Ukrainian organizations. Direct Relief team members were on site for the offload and the aid will be distributed to health facilities within Ukraine.

“As the war enters its fourth month, Direct Relief’s support and solidarity remain steadfastly with the people of Ukraine,” said Thomas Tighe, Direct Relief President and CEO. “In addition to the heartbreaking loss of life and human toll, the war has had a devastating impact on health services in the country, and Direct Relief is committed to bolstering care with a continuous supply of medical aid. FedEx has created a powerful force multiplier for good with this most recent charter, and it’s an incredible example of what’s needed to address this crisis.”

Since February 24, Direct Relief has provided more than 750 tons of medical aid in response to the crisis, from field medic packs — which contain items to address trauma, including tourniquets and wound dressings — to diabetes and cancer medications.

“It is gratifying to be able use our global network to support these critical missions, and with this charter flight we hope to make a small contribution to what is still a major humanitarian situation.” said Karen Reddington, regional president of Europe, FedEx Express.

FedEx has donated more than $2.3 million in humanitarian aid to support those impacted by the conflict in Ukraine, including $1 million that has been allocated for in-kind shipping with the company’s longstanding nonprofit partners. Utilizing its global network and unparalleled logistics expertise, FedEx has been able to help organizations including Direct Relief, Heart to Heart International, International Medical Corps, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, and World Central Kitchen, respond during this crisis. Learn more at fedexcares.com.

The post FedEx and Direct Relief Deliver 52 Tons of Critical Medical Aid for Ukrainians appeared first on Direct Relief.

• Covid-19 has caused oxygen shortages around the world. Direct Relief is providing more than $20 million in medical aid and funding to increase access to this vital resource.
• The consortium CAF-Africa, anchored by $10 million in funds from Direct Relief, has distributed more than 121 million units of PPE across the continent.
• In partnership with the International Diabetes Federation, Direct Relief has delivered $155 million in medical aid for patients with diabetes in 26 countries, including Syria, Afghanistan, and others experiencing humanitarian crises.
• As the Ukraine crisis heats up, a Direct Relief shipment containing $5.4 million in medical aid is en route to the country.

Top Stories

A Short Documentary from Direct Relief — “This Bus is an Angel Bus”

The situation: On a frigid Chicago night, a film crew with Direct Relief joined the nonprofit Night Ministry as they cared for their fellow Chicagoans living on the city’s streets.

The context: The Night Ministry was recently awarded $250K from Direct Relief’s Fund for Health Equity, with support from the AbbVie Foundation, for its mobile outreach program, which extends medical and social services to people sleeping in trains, tent encampments and streets across Chicago.

The Big Picture: The organization is among nearly 100 groups to receive funding from Direct Relief through its Fund for Health Equity. The fund was launched last year with an initial $75 million to support community health centers, free and charitable clinics, educational institutions and other community-based organizations fighting the inequities that further health disparities.

Confronting the Global Oxygen Shortage

The situation: Even before the pandemic, medical-grade oxygen shortages were common. But Covid-19 spikes have caused oxygen crises in countries around the world.

The response: Direct Relief has already invested more than $15 million in responding to Covid-19-related oxygen shortages. Now, the organization is committing an additional $5 million to develop resilient, efficient oxygen sources in low-resource settings.

The impact: “The advantage of a group like Direct Relief is lives saved,” said one expert on the global oxygen crisis.

For Community Health Workers in Sub-Saharan Africa, a Vital Resource

The situation: Community health workers provide essential health care to 400 million people across Africa, offering vaccinations, maternal and child health care, and other services. Despite their vital role, they have often been the last in line to receive PPE.

The response: The Covid-19 Action Fund for Africa (CAF-Africa), for which Direct Relief has provided funding, sourcing, and ocean logistics, was created to rapidly scale up the procurement and delivery of PPE to community health workers. A recent third round of aid distributed 40 million additional units of PPE to workers in 10 countries in sub-Saharan Africa.

The impact: “As Covid-19 cases continue and variants emerge, protection for community health workers is imperative,” said Thomas Tighe, President and CEO of Direct Relief. “Direct Relief is privileged to support the public health effort with infusions of PPE.”

As Global Diabetes Rises, Direct Relief Supports Treatment, Maintenance

The situation: Diabetes is particularly challenging to manage in low-resource settings, and it’s on the rise globally. Approximately 537 million adults are living with the chronic condition, and that number is expected to increase to 783 million by 2045.

The response: Working in partnership with the International Diabetes Federation, Direct Relief has delivered over $155 million in medical aid intended for patients living with diabetes. That aid has been shipped to 26 countries, including Afghanistan, Haiti, Syria, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The impact: Direct Relief is now delivering over a million vials, pens, or cartridges of insulin every single year to tens of thousands of underserved patients, along with other essential support.

Providing Support to Ukraine Amid Crisis

The situation: The world’s eyes are on Ukraine as the Eastern European country awaits the possibility of a Russian attack.

The response: Direct Relief is providing routine support to the country. Most recently, the organization sent $5.4 million in medical aid to a Ukrainian NGO that’s a long-term Direct Relief partner. This shipment included mental health and cardiovascular medications, IV fluids, and more.

The impact: The NGO serves local Ukrainian hospitals, ambulance stations, and medical centers.

In Brief

The United States

• Over the past two weeks, Direct Relief has made 871 shipments to 540 healthcare organizations in 45 states and territories, totaling $19.6 million in value and more than 30,000 lbs.
• During the same period, $425,000 in grants was distributed.
• A new $50,000 grant will support Black and Indigenous midwifery students with tuition and mentorship.
• A $2.5 million grant for infectious disease treatment and prevention has just completed its first of two years. Eleven health care providers have reached more than 100,000 patients thus far and delivered nearly 200,000 vaccines.
• In preparation for hurricane season, Direct Relief is sending approximately 70 Hurricane Preparedness Packs throughout storm-prone areas of the U.S.

Around the World

• Direct Relief has sent 41 shipments to 42 organizations in 23 countries in the past two weeks, totaling $34.2 million in value and 680,000 lbs.
• More than $788,000 was granted during the same period.
• To support North Macedonia as it increases testing at primary and secondary schools, Direct Relief is providing 124,000 rapid antigen tests.
• Direct Relief is funding the construction of a new cold storage room for the Ministry of Health of Nepal. The new cold room will provide more than a 500% increase to the Ministry’s current cold chain capacity.
• A cervical cancer screening program in Nepal is underway, with 782 women receiving screenings thus far.
• A new collaboration will support breast cancer survivors in Mexico with breast reconstruction surgery in public sector hospitals as part of their comprehensive treatment.
• Direct Relief’s work on oxygen support to countries around the globe is featured in the publication GasWorld.

The post Global Update: Medical Support for Afghanistan, Syria, Ukraine, the U.S. and More appeared first on Direct Relief.

Finding helicopters wasn’t the problem; companies volunteered their services, said Dr. Aban Gautam, a physician and president of the aid organization Mountain Heart Nepal. And Mountain Heart Nepal’s staff provided in-flight medical support to gravely ill patients.

Instead, the problem was medical-grade oxygen.

“We were told to bring our own oxygen supply,” Gautam recalled. But medical-grade oxygen was scarce all over the country. “It was a very challenging time for us to refill just one cylinder…we had to wait in a very long queue” at a local oxygen plant.

Even medical support and in-flight oxygen weren’t enough. When a patient reached a hospital, there was no guarantee of enough oxygen to support them.

“We could not take any [more] patients because of oxygen shortages,” recalled Pramesh Koju, public health officer at Dhulikhel Hospital in Kathmandu, Nepal’s capital city.

Dhulikhel had onsite a pressure-swing absorption (PSA) oxygen plant. But it was operating far below capacity. “We cleaned all the filters, cleaned the room… but it couldn’t generate enough oxygen for demand,” said engineer Sanil Shrestha.

To care for patients in its 136 designated Covid-19 beds, Dhulikhel needed between 150 and 200 oxygen cylinders every 24 hours. Its PSA plant could only produce about 60.

Direct Relief to Boost Global Oxygen Supply Amid Covid-19-Caused Shortages with $5 Million Investment

By Talya Meyers | Direct Relief
JANUARY 20, 2022 5:08 PM

Shrestha would wait overnight at a local oxygen factory to secure enough oxygen to treat hospital patients to make up the difference.

Dan Hovey, Direct Relief’s emergency response director, hears similar stories every time a country experiences a Covid-19 surge, beginning with China.

“We learned that a spike in demand for oxygen was completely overwhelming the local supply. And we’ve seen that in every outbreak since then,” Hovey said.

global inequity

This isn’t a new problem. Even before the pandemic, a lack of oxygen was killing children with pneumonia and others who needed it, said Leith Greenslade, the coordinator of the public-private coalition Every Breath Counts – it numbers UN agencies, businesses, nonprofits, and academic institutions among its participants – and an expert on oxygen supply shortages.

“Oxygen was really rare in hospitals” in settings across sub-Saharan Africa and South America, Greenslade said.

In wealthier countries, where road systems are more reliable and commercial oxygen more available, hospitals are most likely to purchase oxygen from a medical distributor dispensing liquid or gas oxygen, explained Sarah Sceery, director of external relations at Build Health International, a nonprofit organization working to improve health care infrastructure in low-resource settings. The oxygen is delivered in large tanks and incorporated into a facility’s system in these cases.

“Oxygen is almost a no-brainer” in many wealthier countries,” Sceery said.

However, in low-resource settings, purchasing a large tank of oxygen isn’t always an option, whether because of poor-quality roads, seasonal conditions, or a lack of local suppliers, Sceery said. The global supply chain issues caused by the pandemic have only exacerbated the problem, especially in many low-income countries that rely exclusively on imported oxygen.

Instead, many hospitals rely on PSA plants, which separate oxygen from other gases onsite, said Eric Buckley, Build Health International’s director of oxygen engineering. But many such PSA plants are broken or not working at full capacity. They’re often donations from an external entity, but local staff are not provided with sufficient training to maintain the plant or troubleshoot problems.

Buckley emphasized that underfunded and overburdened hospital staff are not to blame for the situation.

“The bad guy here is not the facilities person in the hospital, who’s been given nothing more than a screwdriver and a roll of tape, and asked to maintain the PSA plant,” he said.

But there’s no question that the pandemic has severely worsened global oxygen shortages, even as it has drawn attention to the issue. And untold numbers of people have died – sometimes publicly, on the street – as a result.

“Oxygen is also needed for neonatal care, maternal care, surgical care,” Sceery said. “When [hospitals] become overrun with Covid and with Covid patients, it becomes even more disastrous.”

“We first started hearing about the vast quantities of oxygen” needed to care for severely ill Covid-19 patients, Greenslade recalled, “and we just knew it was going to be a horror story.”

Oxygen crisis

At the China Friendship Hospital in the Caribbean country of Dominica, Covid-19 cases stayed low until the summer of 2021. Then the delta variant surged, and case levels remained high, said Nicole Laville, the director of engineering services for the Dominica Hospitals Authority.

“What we found is that, since August, the demand for oxygen has gone up,” she said.

The hospital had a PSA plant, but it had been damaged by Hurricane Maria, the Category 5 storm that caused widespread damage to Dominica and Puerto Rico in 2017. “We’re kind of walking on glass with regards to this oxygen plant,” Laville said. “In an emergency situation, people need oxygen, so they had to run the plant, so it caused further damage to the plant.”

When Laville spoke to Direct Relief in late December, one particular patient was going through 10 cylinders of oxygen a day. The demand was so great that China Friendship Hospital could no longer afford to share with other hospitals in Dominica.

“A lot of those island nations have been in oxygen crisis, but they’re small and tend not to be able to get the attention of the large international agencies,” Greenslade said.

Addressing this oxygen crisis requires a multifaceted approach. Oxygen concentrators, which have received widespread media attention, have proven to play a valuable role in the fight against Covid-19, allowing patients to recuperate at home while opening up vital hospital beds for the sickest cases.

But they’re generally not suitable to treat the sickest patients. A typical concentrator might provide five liters of oxygen per minute, Greenslade said. A patient with a severe case of Covid-19 could require as much as 60 liters per minute.

A way forward

For Greenslade, oxygen is the missing link in the global response to Covid-19. “Early on in the pandemic, a wrong path was taken, and we’ve been on the wrong way ever since then.”

The problem is an over-reliance on vaccines to solve the problem. “They are amazing vaccines, but all the effort was put into bringing them to market quickly,” without taking vaccine uptake adequately into account, she said. “A lot of people would just decide, ‘We’re not going to take them and you just can’t make us.’”

In the meantime, Greenslade explained, “we didn’t focus enough on preventing deaths, on taking care of people who were getting sick.” That meant that the vital role oxygen plays in treating Covid-19 wasn’t emphasized enough.

Part of the solution is making sure that hospitals and health organizations have access to reliable sources of medical-grade oxygen. With this in mind, Direct Relief has already funded oxygen plants in several countries.

While a PSA plant is often the best solution, Hovey explained, an unreliable electrical grid and lack of access to spare parts make it the wrong solution in countries experiencing conflict, such as Syria. Instead, the funding will go toward a liquid oxygen filling station.

With funding from Direct Relief, Build Health International worked with Dhulikhel Hospital to figure out why their PSA plant wasn’t working well, diagnosed the problem, and got the plant running at full capacity.

For China Friendship Hospital, Build Health International recently traveled to the site to evaluate the plant and issued a full report within days.

“We need very nimble humanitarian agencies that can almost operate in a parallel universe” from that of governments and other official bodies, Greenslade said. With a government, she explained, an official report on a broken PSA plant might take four to six months – and more deaths.

“The advantage of a group like Direct Relief is lives saved,” she said.

Dan Hovey and Alycia Clark contributed reporting to this story.

Direct Relief has committed $5 million to the oxygen supply problem and is joining the Every Breath Counts coalition. The organization will work with the coalition and with Build Health International to build and restore PSA plants or other effective, resilient oxygen sources in countries such as Dominica, India, Madagascar, Nepal, and Syria. Direct Relief will also receive guidance on oxygen strategy and prioritization from the Society of Critical Care Medicine, which is the largest nonprofit medical organization devoted to critical care and has members in 100 countries.

The post Confronting the Global Oxygen Shortage and its Consequences appeared first on Direct Relief.

“Limited availability of medical-grade oxygen was a chronic challenge before the Covid pandemic, but it has been a recurring, acute crisis since it’s essential to treat people who become most ill from the virus,” said Thomas Tighe, Direct Relief President and CEO. “That’s why Direct Relief is devoting focused resources to increase availability in the highest-need areas.”

Direct Relief’s commitment adds to more than $15 million invested already by the organization to respond to recurring crises of Covid-19-related oxygen shortages by providing, among other things, more than 33,000 oxygen concentrators reaching healthcare providers in 52 countries — from the U.S. to Brazil, India, Nepal, Yemen, and more.

Investing in Sustainable Oxygen Production

Even before the pandemic, medical-grade oxygen was scarce in much of the world, in part due to cost and the need to transport oxygen cylinders hundreds of miles via cryogenic tankers, from production plants to hospitals, then back for refilling. Pandemic-induced supply chain issues have only exacerbated the problem, especially in countries relying exclusively on imports.

“We’ve seen repeatedly that Covid-19 causes a sudden spike in demand for medical oxygen that completely outpaces the local supply,” said Emergency Response Director Dan Hovey. “No surge capacity exists for oxygen.”

A sustainable alternative to imported oxygen exists in pressure swing adsorption (PSA) plants, which separate oxygen from other gases onsite at hospitals.

Direct Relief has funded permanent oxygen-generating plants at hospitals in several countries to ensure a reliable oxygen supply. The organization is also joining Every Breath Counts, a public-private coalition including UN agencies, businesses, academic institutions, and Build Health International, to build and restore PSA plants in countries such as Dominica, India, Nepal, and Madagascar.

PSA plants can meet the oxygen needs at most facilities; however, in low-resource settings, PSA plants often require repair.

For example, in Nepal last year, as the delta variant swept the country, Dhulikhel Hospital needed 150-200 oxygen cylinders every 24 hours to care for patients in its 136 Covid-19 beds. Its PSA plant was only generating 60 cylinders per day. Staff member Sanil Shrestha described waiting overnight at a local oxygen factory in the hopes of being able to bring more supplies to Dhulikhel’s patients.

With funding from Direct Relief, Build Health International diagnosed the problem and got Dhulikhel’s plant running at full capacity.

To track the estimated need for oxygen need in low & middle-income countries, Direct Relief, in collaboration with Every Breath Counts, developed a map and data dashboard. The tool also displays crowdsourced reports of oxygen plants requiring repair.

“Organizations like Direct Relief have an absolutely critical role to play in preventing oxygen shortages in low-resource settings,” said Leith Greenslade, the coordinator of Every Breath Counts and an expert on oxygen supply shortages. “We need very nimble humanitarian agencies that can almost operate in a parallel universe.”

The post Direct Relief to Boost Global Oxygen Supply Amid Covid-19-Caused Shortages with $5 Million Investment appeared first on Direct Relief.

Clinicians have correlated drastic drops in the blood oxygen levels of Covid patients with a greater likelihood of death. India has experienced crippling shortages of medical-grade oxygen, in part due to the need to transport oxygen cylinders hundreds of miles via cryogenic tankers, from production plants to hospitals, then back for refilling. According to BMJ, 41% of patients admitted to the hospital with Covid-19 require supplemental oxygen, while only 2% need mechanical ventilation.

Oxygen concentrators don’t require tanks, just electric power to remove nitrogen from the air and produce purified oxygen. Direct Relief is delivering two oxygen concentrator types — high-flow and low-flow. High-flow oxygen concentrators are used in hospitals to treat patients needing intensive care, providing 10 liters per minute of oxygen. Low-flow concentrators generate 5 liters per minute and help hospitals safely discharge patients who are stable but require at-home breathing support.

The May 15 flight from Newark to Delhi will deliver 286 high-flow oxygen concentrators and 500 low-flow concentrators, adding to the 3,500 concentrators from Direct Relief transported via another FedEx-donated charter that arrived May 9 and coordinated with the Tata Memorial Center in Mumbai, which cleared the items and distributed them within two days to more than 40 hospitals in the region. This weekend’s flight also includes 1.8 million KN95 masks, 125,000 gloves, and other requested medical items.

Direct Relief staff and partner organizations in India will distribute the supplies throughout the country to medical facilities caring for Covid-19 patients. Direct Relief has provided medical assistance to India since 1960, working with a range of partners, from medical outreach camps to rural clinics and hospitals, community-based health centers, and tertiary level facilities in large urban areas.

“It’s our mission to use our global logistics network to help deliver critical aid to India, where it’s needed most right now,” said Raj Subramaniam, president and COO, FedEx Corp. “We’ve been fighting this pandemic from the frontlines since the beginning, and will continue the fight until it’s over.”

“Direct Relief is grateful beyond words for FedEx, once again, delivering urgently needed assistance to people in India at a scale the FedEx team is uniquely able to handle,” said Thomas Tighe, Direct Relief President and CEO. “The decisive action to donate the company’s enormous capacity and exceptional skills is a huge humanitarian force multiplier — and a powerful example of the type of public-spirited leadership needed to get everyone, everywhere safely to the other side of the pandemic.”

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India tallied another record case total yesterday, with 352,991 new COVID-19 cases and 2812 deaths.

The virus is spreading in every state, with the most significant increases occurring in the heavily urbanized areas of Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Karnataka, and Kerala. The influx of seriously ill patients is overwhelming hospitals throughout large areas of the country.

Oxygen concentrators are among the most critical items needed to treat people with severe COVID-19, who often arrive at hospitals with extreme hypoxemia. High-flow oxygen concentrators are used in hospitals to treat patients needing intensive care. In contrast, low-flow concentrators can help hospitals safely discharge patients who are stable but require at-home breathing support.

Healthcare leaders in India have estimated the need for 200,000 oxygen concentrators; however, rising COVID-19 cases have caused many local manufacturing plants to shut down, resulting in shortages of oxygen throughout the country.

Direct Relief is working with several local Indian nonprofits, global logistics companies and large-scale manufacturers to source and transport oxygen concentrators and other critical items into India.

Today’s commitment of $5 million will cover the expense of an estimated 10,000 oxygen concentrators and other requested medical supplies.

Since January 2020, Direct Relief has delivered 4,000 oxygen concentrators to forty-five countries, including India.

Since the pandemic began, Direct Relief has also provided twenty-one organizations across India with more than $25 million in medical resources, including PPE, cancer drugs, rare disease medications, and $198,000 in grants.

The post Direct Relief Commits $5 Million to Mobilize Medical-Grade Oxygen for India appeared first on Direct Relief.

“In traditional medicine, if your pulse [oximeter reading] drops below 80 and consistently stays below 80, that is an indication for intubation and putting the patients in the ICU,” she explained.

But nearly a year later, Dr. Shihabuddin, the Chief Medical Officer of RWJBarnabas Health in New Jersey, said the lessons of traditional medicine may no longer hold: “What we learned with COVID is intubation may not be the answer.”

As providers learn more about the disease and its treatment, they have become more discerning with how they deliver oxygen treatment.

New Protocols

“The decision to intubate and put [patients] on a machine is multifactorial. It’s not one thing. it’s not simply because your oxygen is low,” said Shihabuddin.

Now, if patients have low levels of oxygen saturation, Shihabuddin recommends they be monitored in the hospital’s ICU and delivered high-flow oxygen through their nose instead. The treatment is less invasive than intubation and doesn’t require patients to be sedated.

In California, a Los Angeles-based hospital has also revised its treatment protocols in light of new evidence.

“Very early in the pandemic we were intubating everyone — putting them on ventilators — because we thought that was the right thing to do,” said Dr. Larry Stock, Vice Chair of the hospital’s emergency department. “We learned that, even if they had a big oxygen need, they’d actually do better if we held off on doing that.”

Instead, the hospital began giving patients high-flow oxygen funneled through a network of pipes in the walls and delivered directly into patients’ rooms. Normally patients on high-flow oxygen receive up to 15 liters of oxygen a minute. But for those in critical condition, Dr. Stock and his colleagues were turning up the flow. “We were giving people oxygen at levels of 40 to 80 liters per minute. And sometimes even double that—up to 200 liters per minute of oxygen in some cases.”

Earlier this year, the need for this kind of treatment led to mass oxygen shortages across Southern California, shocking even the most seasoned physicians. “I don’t think anyone anticipated we were going to run out of oxygen,” said Stock.

The shortages led to rationing, which in some cases meant turning down the flow of oxygen patients were receiving. “Instead of setting the goal and trying to reach a pulse ox saturation of 95% or above, our goal became 90% or above, or sometimes lower than that,” said Stock. While it wasn’t ideal, it was enough to keep people breathing. “If we tried to provide optimal care for everyone, there wouldn’t be enough for some people,” he said. As shortages have subsided in some areas and flared up in others, oxygen remains a critical component of Covid-19 treatment.

Recovering at Home

It’s not just about inpatient care, either. During surges, when hospitals fill to capacity, oxygen acquires a new role: freeing up much-needed hospital beds.

Small, portable oxygen concentrators can be sent home with patients who are stable but still require oxygen support, allowing a more critical patient to take their spot.

Last spring, RWJ Barnabas Health began sending patients home with an oxygen concentrator, a pulse oximeter, and a virtual nurse to monitor their condition through telemedicine. The program helped offload hospital beds during their worst surge to date.

Dr. Shihabuddin says the portable concentrators have been particularly useful for certain patient populations.

“There’s a cohort of patients who are uninsured, and in the state of New Jersey, we have a lot of undocumented patients,” she explained. “Those concentrators, which we have, really saved the lives of those patients.”

Many of these patients are afraid to be checked into a hospital because of their immigration status. Others are weary of surprise medical bills.

“A lot of these patients did not want to be hospitalized,” said Dr. Shihabuddin.

While the CARES Act has provided funding to cover the cost of Covid-treatment for uninsured individuals, some patients are unaware of the new provisions. Others are doubtful.

“No matter how much you tell them, ‘No, you’re not going to get a bill. Everything will be the fine. The government is going to pay for it,’ they don’t really believe us because that’s not the historic experience,” said Shihabuddin.

At AltaMed Health Services in Los Angeles, a similar program is helping low-income patients, including uninsured individuals, get home sooner.

The health center is working with their local hospital to transition patients out of the intensive care unit into their homes, where supplemental oxygen and close monitoring are used in the final stretch of treatment. But the program is more involved than handing patients an oxygen concentrator.

“It’s not just the oxygen. It’s, ‘Who’s going to bring them medication? How are they going to drive to the clinic for a follow-up?’” explained Dr. Ilan Shapiro, the Medical Director of Health Education and Wellness at AltaMed.

For those without a caretaker at home, the health center is sending in a provider to routinely check their pulse oximeter and, if they have a chronic condition, make sure their medications are stocked.

The Long Term

While most patients will only need oxygen for a short period of time, others may require more long-term support.

That’s because Covid-19 can cause inflammation of the lungs and heart. If severe enough, this inflammation can lead to scarring.

“Once you get a scar, just like anywhere in the body, it doesn’t actually go away. You kind of work with the remaining tissue that’s healthy,” explained Dr. Larry Stock, the emergency medicine physician based in Los Angeles. This scarring can cause patients to develop chronic conditions, such as pulmonary fibrosis, that require long-term oxygen therapy.

For some of Dr. Shapiro’s patients, that presents more than just a health crisis. Without insurance, funding long-term oxygen care may be a financial impossibility. Out-of-pocket expenses can total thousands of dollars per year.

“That’s where things start melting down,” said Shapiro. “Covid doesn’t distinguish if you have insurance or not.”

Since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, Direct Relief has delivered 3,942 oxygen concentrators to health facilities in the United States and abroad, including dozens to support patients receiving at-home oxygen treatment from RWJ Barnabas Health and Alta Med Health Services.

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On Jan. 14 and 15, dozens of Brazilians asphyxiated in the Amazonas state capital of Manaus after oxygen supplies ran out, according to the Washington Post. “There is a collapse in the health-care system in Manaus,” Brazilian Health Minister Eduardo Pazuello said at the time. According to the Post, Manaus is short by the amount of oxygen needed for 70 critical patients per day.

Local facilities in Amazonas can produce less than half of the daily oxygen supply needed for patients in Manaus, a city of 2.2 million people, isolated in the vast Amazon rain forest with no drivable highways connecting it to the rest of Brazil. Additional oxygen comes by truck from Venezuela, by week-long boat trip from eastern Brazil, or flown in by the Brazilian Air Force.

During the first wave of the pandemic last April, Manaus became the first city in Brazil forced to bury Covid victims in a mass grave. So many of the city’s residents had been infected by mid-2020 that researchers thought the city was becoming a natural experiment with herd immunity.

Instead, a new surge hit the city in December, and by January, more than 100 people a day were dying in the city. Worse, according to the BMJ, many new patients are infected with the P.1 variant of the Covid virus, which appears to have evolved to make it more infectious.

On January 25, Amazonas Governor Wilson Miranda Lima issued a global appeal for oxygen and other medical supplies:

“This second wave has hit us with colossal force… Right now, the ‘Lungs of the Earth’ need oxygen. We are in dire need of medical and hospital supplies, medical oxygen, and resources for the logistical support in order for these materials to be delivered as quickly as possible in the proportion and speed that Amazonas needs.”

Direct Relief responded to the plea, granting $530,000 for purchasing an estimated 350 oxygen concentrators needed to help keep the region’s Covid patients alive.

Direct Relief made the grant to the Foundation for Amazon Sustainability. The donation was facilitated by the Governors’ Climate and Forests Task Force (GCFTF, an international collaboration of state and provincial governors) and Health Bridges International (HBI, a health-focused NGO), which sought a solution to the Amazonas oxygen crisis and turned to Direct Relief.

The first 240 concentrators arrived Saturday in Manaus. The Amazonas Secretary of the Environment, Eduardo Taveira, will oversee their distribution.

“The priority is to serve rural areas and avoid the impact of the second wave on the most vulnerable communities,” Mr. Taveira said.

Oxygen is one of the most common treatment needs for patients sick with Covid-19, as the disease lowers the lungs’ ability to absorb oxygen from the air. Oxygen concentrators pull oxygen directly out of the air rather than requiring cylinders filled with oxygen, at a time when oxygen tanks and other oxygen delivery technologies have been in short supply around the world.

This is only the latest in a long series of actions Direct Relief has taken over the past year to provide oxygen to patients who otherwise wouldn’t receive it. As word of the disease spread in January 2020, Direct Relief assessed the likely needs for medicine and equipment and began securing supplies. Among these supplies were thousands of oxygen concentrators that the organization ordered and has delivered to health providers across 45 countries, including the U.S. — from Arizona and Los Angeles to Lebanon and Yemen.

“Ending a pandemic that threatens everyone demands the type of international collaboration exemplified here by the government of Amazonas, FAS, GCFTF, HBI, and others,” said Direct Relief President and CEO Thomas Tighe. “This project will deliver life-saving support to communities in need, and we are so grateful that the aforementioned partners joined forces to execute as quickly as possible.”

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The oxygen concentrators will enable hospitals in the area to safely discharge patients who are stable but require at-home breathing support, while making room for those in need of intensive care.

Since January 2020, Direct Relief has delivered more than 3,400 oxygen concentrators to hospitals and critical care facilities in the United States and abroad. Today’s delivery, which was facilitated by Community Partners International, represents Direct Relief’s largest single donation of oxygen concentrators since the start of the pandemic.

In addition to oxygen concentrators, Tuesday’s shipment also contained powered-air purifying respirators, or PAPRS, for Antelope Valley Hospital.

Antelope Valley Hospital–one of the facilities receiving aid from Direct Relief–is the only full-service acute-care facility serving Lancaster’s Antelope Valley community.

Nestled in Northern Los Angeles County, the facility is facing one of the most severe Covid outbreaks in the country. Cases per capita are among the highest in Los Angeles County, which itself is a national Covid hotspot. Reporting an average of more than 15,000 cases per day, the county has the second highest case rate per capita in California, behind Riverside County, according to data collected by the L.A. Times. And nationally, Los Angeles County is the fastest growing Covid hotspot in the country, according to data collected by Direct Relief’s research and analysis team.

While statewide hospitalizations plateaued this week at a record 21,654, Los Angeles County facilities remain inundated with critically ill patients, forcing some to turn away ambulances or treat patients in makeshift hospital rooms, as reported by the L.A. Times.

Meanwhile, several L.A.-based hospitals are reporting critical shortages of oxygen needed to support patients whose breathing has been compromised by the virus. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has deployed crews to update oxygen delivery systems at 11 L.A. County hospitals after a handful of emergency departments shut down ambulance traffic due to a shortage of oxygen, according to the L.A. Times. Upgrades are currently underway, according to local news reports.

Direct Relief is working to address these shortages and relieve pressure on hospitals by supporting facilities like Antelope Valley Hospital with critical medical supplies.

The post Direct Relief Delivers Oxygen Concentrators to California Covid Hotspot appeared first on Direct Relief.

The Direct Relief shipment includes 20 of Direct Relief’s ICU Critical Supply Modules, each with medications and supplies selected to treat up to 500 critically ill Covid-19 patients, along with 150 oxygen concentrators, five ventilators, and large quantities of personal protective equipment.

“This shipment comes at a very critical time and will have immediate impact,” Dr. Ahmed Awad Bin Mubarak, Yemen’s ambassador to the United States, told Direct Relief. For the people of Yemen, “it is a clear message to them that they don’t stand alone.”

In countries across the developing world, the equipment to deliver oxygen to Covid-19 patients is in critically short supply. Oxygen is among the most important needs of severely ill Covid-19 patients, who often arrive at hospitals with extremely low blood-oxygen levels.

“Many countries are now experiencing difficulties in obtaining oxygen concentrators,” World Health Organization Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a June 24 speech. Oxygen availability, he said, “has been an area of intense focus for WHO since the beginning of the pandemic.”

Torn by a civil war that since 2015 has displaced more than 800,000 people, Yemen by last year was already the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, the United Nations warned. Authorities estimate that fewer than half the country’s health facilities are currently fully operational.

“The worst-case scenario—which is the one we’re facing now—means that the death toll from the virus could exceed the combined toll of war, disease and hunger over the last five years” in Yemen, said Lise Grande, the head of the UN’s humanitarian operations in Yemen, in an interview with CNN last month.

The shipment for Yemen departed Direct Relief’s Santa Barbara warehouse last week, scheduled to arrive this week in Dubai.

From Dubai, it will be flown into Aden, Yemen via the World Food Programme Logistics Cluster.

Direct Relief partner Yemen Aid will deliver the emergency supplies to Covid-19 treatment centers in Aden, Taiz, Lahij, and Abyan.

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