OBI procured more than $500,000 in donated medicine and through DHL, transported it safely to Mexico's Department of Health.

VILLAHERMOSA, Mexico – A 14-hour drive, police escort and a 44-foot trailer were all part of bringing more than half a million dollars worth of lifesaving medicine to Mexico’s flood victims.

Days of heavy rains earlier this month triggered widespread flooding and displaced more than 500,000 residents from their homes.

With more than 70 percent of Mexico’s Tabasco state underwater, major outbreaks of water-borne illnesses such as diarrhea, cholera, and respiratory sickness threatened the population.

Together with the local minister of health of Tabasco State, Operation Blessing visited clinics and hospitals to assess their needs and presented detailed lists of antibiotics, anti-fungal creams and other much-needed medicine to in-country pharmaceutical companies.

Companies such as GlaxoSmithKline, Pfizer and others responded and donated several tons of medicine valued at more than half a million dollars for distribution to Mexico’s Department of Health.

But procuring the medical donation was only half the challenge. 

Relief efforts are assisting thousands with food, water, medicine and more.

DHL, a global delivery service, agreed to cover all the costs for picking-up and transporting the donated medicine. They packed a 44-foot trailer and made a 14-hour drive under the protection of a federal police escort to insure the donated medicine made it safely to Mexico’s Department of Health.

“We have now facilitated all the logistics and the delivery through our faithful partner DHL,” said OBI President Bill Horan. “This is Operation Blessing’s signature. We come in and we figure out the logistical problems to make things happen.”

Earlier this week, Operation Blessing along with partners DHL and Water Mission International, supplied four water systems that are providing residents with more than 40,000 gallons of clean drinking water a day.

OBI is also working with Centro Cristiano, the largest church in the state, and distributing survival bags filled with food and hygiene products as well as blankets, clothes and medicine to more than 100 centers throughout the city.

HOW YOU CAN HELP
You can help by making an online donation toward OBI's disaster relief efforts. With your support, we can continue to provide emergency relief and recovery. Please make an on-line donation today.

 

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