Medtronic Donates Medical Supplies To Haiti Relief Effort

Main Category: Aid / Disasters
Also Included In: Medical Devices / Diagnostics
Article Date: 09 Feb 2010 - 0:00 PST

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Medtronic, Inc. (NYSE: MDT) announced that the company has donated nearly $900,000 in medical devices and surgical supplies to help meet urgent medical needs in Haiti.

In response to numerous spine and crush injuries, the company provided spinal surgical implants such as rods, hooks and screws to treat spinal fractures, facilitate spinal fusion and stabilize and strengthen the spine. Spinal orthopedic implants and replacement devices were provided for trauma reconstruction. Additionally, surgical perfusion disposables such as tubing, and blood and oxygen filters were donated for field and hospital use. All products were identified as high-need by several agencies working directly with medical relief efforts.

Medtronic is partnering with U.S.-based Hospital Sisters Mission Outreach to coordinate distribution of the donated medical devices, and encourages medical professionals and aid organizations requesting product donations to contact that organization directly. Contact information is available on the home page of http://www.medtronic.com.

Combined with $1.2 million in cash pledges, today's announcement raises Medtronic's total response to more than $2.1 million.

The $1.2 million includes $750,000 in Medtronic Foundation grants directed to the rebuilding of healthcare infrastructure in Haiti, and the Foundation will match employee donations up to $350,000 (increased from a previously announced $250,000 match due to strong employee response). An additional $100,000 was given to several relief organizations in the Minneapolis/Saint Paul area. Matching funds will be directed to Partners in Health for short-term relief. The Foundation is assessing potential nonprofit partners to lead the longer-term rebuilding efforts. Employees worldwide also are offered five days of paid leave to assist in recovery efforts.

These donations are in addition to an existing five-year, $500,000 grant to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies disaster relief fund, which ensures that immediate financial support is available for responding to emergencies around the globe.

Source
Medtronic