EMERGENCY MEDICAL SUPPLIES: SRI LANKA ECON CRISIS

EMERGENCY MEDICAL SUPPLIES: SRI LANKA

 

This is a response to an alert by doctors in Sri Lanka re. fast-depleting stocks (2 weeks at best) of essential lifesaving equipment and medicines (see attachments below).

Sri Lanka’s public health sector, reputed for its excellence in spite of limited resources, is now seriously feeling the strain of the economic crisis that has gripped the island. As the nation struggles to import essential goods, medical supplies have begun to run short. Neonatal supplies are among the first to have been hit.  Endotracheal (ET) tubes to ventilate newborns may soon run out even in major urban hospitals. In hospitals further afield, medical supplies have been short for weeks.

 

We are coordinating for a group of British/Sri Lankan doctors pooling funds to be sent directly to the supplier/s of national hospitals. 

 

VERIFICATION:

MOH: For 50% of all funds raised, we have spoken with and are working directly with the Ministry of Health via the offices of Dr. Anver Hamdani, Director Medical Technology Services, Ministry of Health ([email redacted])-- the assigned Govt. coordinator (see documents below). We have also been in contact with Dr. Saveen Semage, head of the NMRA, and the process outlined below follows their guidance. We have also attached the guidance documents from Dr. Hamdani’s office, below. Dr. Hamdani/MOH will send us an updated list of supplies needed and a list of verified suppliers by the end of day. We will publish these documents here also.

 

Paediatrics: For the other 50%, we have spoken with and are working directly with the College of Paediatrics via Dr. Raseika Jayatunge (see letter from the College, with links to Dr. Jayatunge, also below). Dr. Jayatunge has a pulse on necessary supplies, and will manage the procurement via suppliers to the College. 

 

 

PROCEDURES:

Here are the nuts and bolts re. process (given current climate of accountability/transparency):

      - Not possible to send physical supplies directly, as import/certification processes are complex.

      - Funds to be sent directly to suppliers who are already part of the hospitals’ procurement process—they will have an updated list of essential items directly from the MOH or the College Paediatrics.

      - Contributions are possible via this page, via direct transfer to US or UK accounts (see below for details), or via venmo/paypal, with a publicly available google sheet serving as an open ledger (link: https://bit.ly/3LTJdtT).

      - For direct transfers, bank details are below, and we will hold the funds in FOREX until remitted to suppliers, potentially every 3 days. For each contribution, we will publish your (pending and received) contribution value alongside your name (in full or in initials/pseudonym, per your request) on the google ledger.

      - We will transfer funds to suppliers at EOD every 3 days, alongside posting values on gofundme and the google ledger, and will  publish the suppliers’ invoices and the hospitals’ receipts of delivery.

      - What did we miss?

 

 

UK (or Intl.) Bank Transfers

      Name: Madushini Selvakumar

      Account: 41842633

      Sort code: 400607

      Bank: HSBC, Tottenham Court Road Branch

      (Swift: MIDLGB22)

      (IBAN: GB25MIDL40060741842633)

 

 

US Bank Transfers

      Name: Madushini Selvakumar

      Account: 12278132

      Routing number:  254074170

      Bank: Bank Funded Staff Federal Credit Union, Main Complex Branch

 

Paypal: [email redacted]

Venmo: @Madushini-Selvakumar 

 

Public ledger for direct transfers: https://bit.ly/3LTJdtT (please contact [email redacted] with transfer names, values, and dates--- thank you).

 

Please reach us if you have any questions at all, and/or the MOH, NMRA, and/or College of Paeds, as referenced.

And if you'd like to join/coordinate on the fundraising, connect with us--  we are better together!

 

Massive massive thanks again to everyone, esp. our doctors on the ground.

Kindest regards,

Doctors and friends