Global Medical Aid

Global Medical Aid is a Danish humanitarian-aid non-governmental organization, known for its medicinal and healthcare support to developing nations. Its headquarters are in Birkerød, Denmark.^[1] DANIDA, DAMCO and Maersk have continously covered the freight costs of medicine and equipment sent to GMAs beneficiary countries.^[1][2][3] The founder of GMA, Hans-Frederik Dydensborg was nominated to hero of the year, 2012, in the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten.^[4]

The organization sends discarded medicine and health care equipment from the Danish health system to twelve countries which include Afghanistan, Benin, Burundi, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Nepal, Macedonia, Senegal, Somaliland, Syria, Sri Lanka and Ukraine.^{[5] [6] [7][8][9][10][11][12]} GMA works in close collaboration with health ministries, hospitals, diplomats, embassies and pharmaceutical companies such as Actavis, Orifarm and Pharmanovia.^{[1][9] [13]}

Characteristics

Global Medical Aid collects medicine and equipment from hospitals in Developed Nations such as Denmark and then sends them off to Third World.^[14] Equipment is often withdrawn from service due to modernization within developed nations health services. GMA encourages hospitals and pharmaceutical firms to donate their medicine instead of abolishing them. Henceforth, the equipment and medicine is still usable and very modern in the third world. In 2012, the value of the donations to the Third World stood at 76 million DKK.^[4]

Some of the most recent donations include the transportation of 700 hospital-beds to Benin.^[15][16]

In 2010, GMA donated medicine to Bhutanese refugees living in Nepal. Global Medical Aid (GMA) donated medicines worth 25 million Nepalese Rupee to refugee camps. For treating anxiety depression, it donated 7,500 tablets of Citalopram and 10,000 tablets of Escitalopram.^[17]

In some circumstances, hospital equipment does not reach a beneificary country as it is broken.^{[4] [18]}

Benin

The Danish M. D., Jesper Sylvest, has written a report on Global Medical Aid's work in Benin. The report was presented to The Foreign Affairs Committee of the Danish Parliament. Importantly, the report pointed out that cooperation with a Local NGO is a fundamental key to making sure that hospital equipment will be placed in the correct facilities, be in use by hospital employees and make sure that maintenace of the equipment is facilitated. ^{[4] [19]}

Ukraine

Global Medical Aid has also donated ambulances to Ukraine including four ambulances to Ukrainian paratroopers in Eastern Ukraine. ^[20] One of the donors of hospital beds was the Danish cleaning company, Forenede Service. ^{[21] [22] [23]}

Additionally, GMA donated 500,000 medical gloves together with other hospital equipment such as beds and operation tables. The total value of the entire donation to Ukraine has amounted to more than 1 million US Dollars. ^[24]

References