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| Tonga Consulate General |
APRIL 7, 2011
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MedShare’s Western Region Hosts Ceremony for Shipment of Medical Aid to Tonga
California’s first large-scale recycler ships container to
Niu’ui Hospital and Prince Ngu Hospital in Tonga
SAN LEANDRO, Calif. – On April 7, award-winning charity MedShare will ship an ocean container of medical supplies and equipment to two hospitals in Tonga. Niu'ui Hospital in Ha'apai and Prince Ngu Hospital in Vava'u will be receiving over 1,000 boxes of critically needed supplies.
MedShare was honored to have attending the shipment ceremony representatives of the Government of the Kingdom of Tonga, Her Royal Highness Princess Salote Mafile’o Pilolevu Tuita and Lord Tuita, Consul General of Tonga in San Franciso. The Executive Council Members of the Tonga USA Association were also in attendance at the ceremony held this morning at the MedShare warehouse.
“In a country where non-communicable diseases are a common health problem, MedShare is honored to provide Tonga with much needed medical supplies to help improve their healthcare situation. With this first shipment to Tonga, we are continuing to bridge the gap between surplus and need,” said A.B. Short, CEO and Co-Founder of MedShare.
The container of aid was sponsored by MedShare's Western Regional Council. The Regional Council is comprised of leading members of the community inNorthern California whose purpose is to generate awareness of MedShare and raise funds to support and sustain the organization’s healthcare, humanitarian aid, and environmental mission.
"We are pleased to be working with the Ministry of Health of Tonga on this most important aid project," said Chuck Haupt, Executive Director of MedShare's Western Region. “To have the opportunity to deliver critically needed medical supplies specifically requested by the two hospitals, such as sutures, surgical instruments, masks, and gauze, is at the core of our mission.”
The LDS Church, represented by Mr. Van Johnson in the U.S. and Mr. Halahuni Langi, Tongan Country Welfare Manager, is also collaborating with MedShare on this shipment. They have arranged the delivery of the container to Liahona High School in Tongatapu, and will then coordinate the shipment of supplies to the two outer island recipient hospitals.
“This generous donation by MedShare will benefit the people of Tonga who need it most in our small outer islands. Although health care is given priority by the Tongan Government, we still need assistance to provide critically-needed medical supplies and equipment,” said Lord Tuita, Consul General of Tonga.
MedShare is an innovative nonprofit with a dual mission to deliver surplus medical supplies to underserved populations around the world while lessening the impact of medical waste in California. As the state’s first large-scale recycler, MedShare diverted 169 tons of supplies from California landfills in 2010 through cooperation with manufacturers and its 29 local partner hospitals. Founded in 1998, MedShare is consistently ranked as one of the United States’ most efficient charities, and has successfully delivered over 650 containers of aid to 85 developing nations.
The Kingdom of Tonga is an archipelago situated in the South Pacific Ocean,with a population of 102,000 people. The 170+ islands, of which only 40 are inhabited, are scattered over 700,000 sq km of ocean. Tonga is divided into four main island groups: Tongatapu, where the capital of Nuku’alofa can be found, and ‘Eua; Vava’u; Ha’apai; and the Niuas. The people from two of these island groups shall benefit immensely from the medical aid shipped by MedShare to Tonga.
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