Emergency medical aid arrived today at two health clinics in Arkansas treating people affected by this week’s deadly series of tornadoes in the South and Midwest, with more relief shipments leaving this week.
Direct Relief’s free clinic partners, Conway Interfaith Clinic in Conway, Ark. and Corning Area Health Care, Inc‘s family medical site in Pocahontas, Ark. will use the supplies of family emergency kits and other personal care items for people who have evacuated to local shelters.
Additional shipments of requested care items and chronic disease medicines for people with diabetes, hypertension, and asthma who lost access to their daily medicines in the storms are headed to both sites today. A shipment is also being prepared for the Greater Meridian Health Clinic network in Louisville, Mississippi.
Moreover, Direct Relief is in communication with Reach Out WorldWide, a nonprofit rapid response organization that will perform on-the-ground assessments of partners who Direct Relief’s Emergency Team has been unable to reach as well as connect the team with potential new clinic and health center providers.
Direct Relief’s Emergency Team has also been in contact with the Red Cross to support any shelters they open up as well as state primary care associations, the National Association of Community Health Centers, and the National Association of Free and Charitable Clinics.
Immediately after the storms, Direct Relief activated its response program, contacting over 500 health center and clinic partners across 18 states that were under threat of tornadoes and inclement weather. Direct Relief’s Emergency Team predicts more supplies will be requested as needs are assessed and clean-up efforts continue. So far, at least 34 people have been killed and hundreds more injured. Direct Relief continues to monitor storm activity in the region and is ready to respond to requests as they arise.
Direct Relief’s rapid response is enabled by support from FedEx, which is providing overnight shipping of the supplies free-of-charge as well as donations of medicines and supplies from corporate supporters, including: 3M, Abbott, AstraZeneca, BD, Chattem Inc., Covidien, CVS Corporation, GSMS Incorporated, Merck & Co., Inc., Neutrogena Corporation, Prestige Brands, Roche Diagnostics, and Sanofi US Foundation for North America.
As the only U.S. nonprofit to obtain Verified Accredited Wholesale Distributor (VAWD)© certification by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy, Direct Relief is uniquely positioned to respond to emergencies like this one that affect multiple states across the country.