Author: Sarah Barber
"The 40-foot container was filled with hospital beds, stretchers, IV poles, along with over 150 boxes filled with emergency medical supplies such as bandages, tapes, digital thermometers, tourniquets, bed pans, and syringes. Additional donations include hospital gowns, blades, and office tables, and chairs."
On December 13, 2022, members of the Lansing Regional Sister Cities (LRSCC) and employees of McLaren Greater Lansing joined together to fill a 40-foot container with medical equipment and supplies that was sent to Ghana, West Africa.
The 40-foot container was filled with hospital beds, stretchers, IV poles, along with over 150 boxes filled with emergency medical supplies such as bandages, tapes, digital thermometers, tourniquets, bed pans, and syringes. Additional donations include hospital gowns, blades, and office tables, and chairs. These items were no longer needed at McLaren Greater Lansing since it’s move to its new hospital that came fully equipped with the latest in medicine. The commission also appreciates the outpouring of financial support from the greater Lansing community that helped help cover the cost of shipping the container to its sister city.
“The medical supplies and equipment donated will enhance the quality of medical care in the new hospital in Ghana,” said Sung-gill Lee, MD, FACOG, member of Ghana and Asan Committee at LRSCC. “It will also serve as a reminder that their sister city in Lansing, Michigan, and the people who live in the greater Lansing area care about them.”
LRSCC has seven sister cities around the world including in Africa, Asia, and Europe. The goal of the non-profit organization is to connect Lansing with the rest of the world though a global citizen diplomacy network and to provide health care resources to cities around the globe.
“LRSCC has sponsored medical missions where several doctors accompanied us and spent time in the hospitals sharing the most recent surgical procedures in the field,” said Dr. Lee. “As we visited the clinics and hospitals, we noticed a lack of medical supplies and outdated equipment.”
The team at LRSCC began to look for local resources to help support the hospital in Ghana, and when they found out that McLaren was moving to a new hospital, they reached out to see if they would be able to use some of the equipment and medical supplies from the legacy hospitals.
“Health care in Ghana has greatly improved over the years, thanks to donations like this one and organizations stepping up to help,” said Dr. Lee. “We appreciate McLaren and the staff there that helped make this donation possible.”
To learn more about the Lansing Regional Sister Cities, you can visit their website by clicking here, or their Facebook page by clicking here.
To learn more about McLaren Greater Lansing, click here.