International Medical Equipment Collaborative (IMEC) is a 501(c)(3) non profit organization that provides medical equipment to doctors and nurses working hospitals and clinics in impoverished areas worldwide.
IMEC is in North Andover, Massachusetts, where volunteers sort, repair, package and ship donated medical supplies and equipment to international medical personnel. Through partnerships with various humanitarian organizations IMEC has been delivering medical supplies for 14 years.
IMEC is known for providing medical supplies that doctors request for their patients.
History
Founded in 1995, IMEC started in the garage of now IMEC's President, Thomas Keefe. A former hospital administrator, Tom Keefe collected surplus medical equipment caused by hospitals closing, downsizing and eliminating entire services.
With the help of humanitarian organizations, this acquired surplus was channeled to developing countries worldwide. Sustained mostly by volunteers, IMEC has grown extensively over the years refurbishing medical equipment and shipping worldwide.
"Between October 1996 and October 1997, IMEC brought about $1.6 million worth of equipment into its 30,000-square-foot (2,800 m2) warehouse, which used to be a giant machine shop. It also relied on 10,000 hours of volunteer time from individuals and organizations such as churches and service groups."
In 2004, IMEC introduced the Center of Health Initiative where IMEC would work with shepherding organizations to identify an empty hospital and retrofit it with basic health care services. By using surplus equipment from hospitals and clinics in the United States, IMEC is able to keep costs low while still providing the equipment needed. IMEC collaborates with the shepherding organization to ensure customs papers for a country are properly comple
No comments:
Post a Comment