IRC Supplies Hospitals in Honduras with Personal Protection Equipment

IRC has responded to the great need that is in Honduras for personal protection equipment (PPE).  Early in March it became evident when the country went into lockdown that this need would exceed the resources available in the country.  Gayle Davidson, founder of the Clinica de Esperanza and Vice President of IRC, went into action and started looking for sources who would supply masks, gloves, gowns, and bouffant caps.  Unfortunately, at the point in the pandemic, the United States restricted medical shipments from leaving our country. The hospitals in Honduras quickly filled to capacity and some of the doctors were striking due to the lack of protective equipment and medicine to treat the patients.  The health system in Honduras was at its breaking point.   The doctors and nurses were trying, but they were overwhelmed.

Gayle worked tirelessly to find sources who could supply any type of medical equipment, and eventually found a source in Honduras, where she obtained supplies for the Hospital Escuela.   Gayle partnered with Dr. Sandra Sosa, who works there in Honduras, to facilitate the delivery of the first shipment. Tim Hines, the Executive Director of IRC and Clinica de Esperanza was able to work with Helping Hands International to get 6 pallets of exam gloves donated to IRC for the hospitals in Honduras.  Gayle Davidson, Byron Sommerdahl, Mark Connell, Mark Bryan, Angela Polk, Carmen Rojas, and Dr. Sandra Sosa have been instrumental in helping ensure that the supplies have made it through customs and to Honduras safely and distributed to the hospitals in need. The hospitals that have been helped so far are Escuela (largest hospital in Central America), San Felipe, Hospital Del Torax.   The supplies that have been delivered have been disposable gowns, N95 masks, surgical hats, shoe covers, ace bandages, gloves, sterilization pouches and bouffant hats.