Pediatric Orthopaedic Foundation (POF) is a nonprofit organization that supports high-quality universal healthcare. The lack of medical supplies, equipment and trained personnel remains a barrier to achieving universal healthcare, especially in developing and economically backward countries. POF is committed to helping people in such nations by collecting unused and reusable supplies and equipment from hospitals and healthcare facilities in the US and shipping them to the needy in those countries.
Low-quality healthcare disproportionately impacts the poor, is economically unsustainable and places a large burden on resources. The situation is worse in low and middle-income countries. The causes of poor and inadequate healthcare are multifaceted, ranging from a lack of access to healthcare providers to insufficient training. POF is working towards mitigating some of these factors to the greatest extent possible by arranging to send medical supplies and conducting medical missions to help and train the local care providers in those communities and countries.
We ask hospitals and other healthcare facilities to donate us “Discarded in the US but Safe to Use Medical items” (DUSSM) and equipment that would otherwise be destined for landfills. Hospitals can save on disposal costs and help the environment by diverting supplies from landfills. We also request medical equipment makers to donate any equipment that works but can’t be used in the US for any reason (e.g., cosmetic defects).
We appeal to all medical facilities to contact us if they are discarding any supplies. We will arrange for pickup. Please note that we do not accept any medications.
All items collected are sorted, cleaned/sterilized as necessary, packaged and shipped out of the US.
Providing ‘American expertise outside America’ (AEOA) is another program of ours. POF encourages and engages trained medical professionals to teach and provide healthcare anywhere in the world through organized medical missions. Our goal is to improve the quality of care around the world by transferring knowledge, teaching best practices and complex procedures and training on the use of intricate equipment.
We have collaborated with Amara Hospital in India, which has world-class amenities and caring local service providers, to facilitate medical mission work. POF is working on expanding the program for global reach.
We invite interested medical professionals to contact us.
Donors and volunteers are the backbone of POF, sparing their expertise, time, medical supplies, equipment and money to support this cause. Their contributions are deeply appreciated.
